White Night, Black Day
by flamesandblackroses
Summary: She was warm on the outside, but what is she on the inside? HitsuxOC story dedicated to waz-up-woMAN. enjoy and reviews please. Summary is going to change
1. White Night, Black Day

White Night, Black Day

Kurohime hated the academy. She wanted to get out of there and make something of herself, and yet here she was sitting down awaiting orders from her sensei.

" Class, since the school year is coming to an end, I thought we could have a little contest." The students started clamoring and eventually Hiashi-Sensei had to ask them to settle down or else. " I want our best students, Toshiro Hitsuguya and Kurohime Hinamoto down front and center."

Suddenly the room burst into commotion. "Not the Demon, she'll kill him." " The Witch! I heard she slaughtered her family and tortured the Elder of the 60th district."

"Quiet!" Hiashi-Sensei looked around the room and when he was satisfied he nodded to the pair. Immediately, both disappeared from view and materialized back with a loud CLANG.

***

I parried every one of his blows, but how long would I keep this up without dying? He was strong so I had to try something desperate. I blocked his next blow and shoved my katana under his. Then, with a flick of my wrist his sword flew out of his hand and clattered on the wooden floor. I shunpoed to him and my katana was at his neck.

But I didn't plan for him to try to land a kick in my gut. My grip loosened up and my katana flew out of my hands as well. From the sidelines I could hear cheers of " Go Toshiro! Kill the Demon!" I wasn't paying attention and his knee came out of nowhere and collided with my cheek.

Cursing, I shunpoed to him and knocked his feet under him, then I kicked him so hard that he was bleeding from God-knows-where. The fight had been won and I was the victor.

Once we were dismissed, I ran outside. It was so good to breathe fresh air again.

"_You went easy on the boy, Kurohime," said Shirobarakaze_

"Well, I wanted to beat him, not cripple him for life." I said

_Shirobarakaze sighed, "You're right as usual, but I just wish once in a while you would let yourself go."_

" What do you mean?" But there was no answer.

***

Toshiro rubbed his shoulder. Damn, that girl kicked hard. Although it was his fault that he had lost, he had underestimated his opponent. He made a mental note to find about the mysterious girl later.

Toshiro walked down to the training area. The people there were pointing at him and whispering. He had never been good at socializing, but he knew when people started talking about him.

" The demon nearly killed him, I bet she used her witchcraft to win the fight."

"No, she probably has him in her evil clutches and was planning to sacrifice him in front of us."

" _Do you think something's wrong with him?"_

So the girl was known as the Demon or Witch at the academy. He had heard of her slaughtering her family, destroying half of Rukongai, and heartlessly torturing innocent people. But all he saw was an emotionless mask, so what was did she lock inside her heart?

Disgusted, Toshiro stormed off the grounds to the greens. There he heard an alluring voice. It was so melodic and peaceful but it sounded sad and lonely. Then it stopped and a monstrous reiatsu nearly blew him away, but then it disappeared as soon as it came .

He shunpoed to the place he thought the reiatsu originated. Toshiro stumbled into a clearing. Awaiting him there was a petite figure with a sword drawn.

The figure shunpoed and appeared again from behind him, a gleaming katana at his throat. "What are you doing here, boy?"


	2. The Rose Bares Its Thorns

I was surprised that someone had found my sanctuary and had not brought an angry mob with them. When I took a closer look at who was in my personal area, it was Toshiro Hitsuguya! Cursing, I back flipped a few feet away from him. He looked like he was thinking about something, probably how to kill me. I hissed "Come to finish the Demon, huh?"

_"Take it easy, Kurohime. You haven't even heard what he wants to say yet," protested Shirobarakaze_

He snapped back, aware of that I had a katana and was not afraid to use it on him. He said something, but I wasn't paying much attention. Toshiro looked like he didn't want to hurt me.

***

Toshiro turned around quickly. A few feet away in front of him was the girl he had fought during class. He noticed that that she was slowly inching away from him as if he were a threat to her survival. When he looked at her closer, he couldn't see why anyone would call her a demon. She actually looked beautiful with that deathly pale face and her exotic purple-red eyes.

"Come to finish off the Demon, huh?" That statement had brought him back to reality. "Uh . . . no, I didn't. I felt a strong reiatsu around here. Was that you?" Eventually, she lowered her katana and put it back in her sheath. She didn't answer his question, but just stared at the sky.

_"MASTER," bellowed Hyorinmaru. "Are you ok?"_

"Yes, why do you ask?" Honestly, Toshiro thought his zanpaktou was awesome, but at times like this he was just plain overprotective, and his head was spinning by the impact of Hyorinmaru's voice.

"_That girl, was she the one who tried to hurt you?!?!"_

Toshiro sighed, "No, it was just a simple misunderstanding, Hyorinmaru."

_"She is not like the others , I sense something unnatural about her reiatsu, best to keep a look out for her, boy. What is her name?"_

A voice rang out, "Are you going to stand there all day or leave," said the girl.

Toshiro was pulled out of his inner world. Trying to collect his thoughts, he said nothing and walked out of the clearing. Then, that beautiful voice sang loud and clear again, like a lonely siren in the wind.

"Kurohime Hinamoto, why Hyorinmaru?"

There was no response, but that voice said it all.


	3. Black Princess

Black Princess

I sat there thinking about the fight in class and the encounter this afternoon. Perhaps I was just too paranoid and I overreacted, oh well. The sun was setting under the mountains and I was tired.

Usually, I would stay there until the last minute before curfew because I just wanted to avoid people that were roaming around the campus. Tonight was different, it was the end of the year celebration and I wanted to climb up a tree and watch the fireworks.

I was excited but not expecting it to be fun, you know? I hurried to the eastern side of the academy and scurried up a tree that was the closest to the fireworks, but far enough to not let anyone know of my presence.

_ "Aren't you hungry at all, Hime-san? I could smell those kabobs a mile away from here," said Shirobarakaze._

Normally I would scold her when she called me Hime-san, but she did have a point. I skipped lunch and I forgot to bring food for the occasion. But I couldn't go into the crowd and get food. I would get burned alive for just showing my face there. Finally, I gave up. The food was just to tempting and my stomach won't shut up. I jumped off the tree and sneaked into the campus gathering. I was so close to the tables when I heard a voice say "Why is the Demon here?"

The whole gathering started shouting and panicking.

_ "Do you think she came here to kidnap someone for here snack?"_

_ "I think we should drive her back to her cave!"_

I gave up and quietly slinked back to my tree before I burst into tears. I can't wait for tomorrow, then I'll leave this damn place forever. Those people there were the monsters not me. I silently sang while I watched the fireworks. I didn't notice thatt I was digging my fingers into my palm until a voice said "Kurohime - san? Are you up there?"

***

Toshiro was sitting on the field, staring at the beautiful skies when he a haze that flickered throughout the crowd. Then he saw her, standing close to the table reaching for a plate.

_ "Ohmygod! The Witch! what is she doing here?!"_

_ "Go back to hell, Demon!!!!!!!!"_

Kurohime's head perked up and scanned for the person who made that comment. What she did next was surprising. Instead of storming up to the student, she cringed and looked like someone had stuck a knife through her. It looked like she was about to cry. Then, in a flash she was gone.

Toshiro had an urge to follow her, but the fireworks were starting. But for some reason didn't care, he wanted to find out why she disappeared.

_ "Master, what are you doing!?"_

Toshiro didn't answer but he added an extra step to his shunpo.

_ When I see your smile, tears run down my face. I can't replace . . . _

Toshiro stopped in his tracks immediately. It was that voice he heard that afternoon. But it sounded like sadder now. It made him want to find her even more now. He hurried on into the dark forest.

_ I will never let you fall. I will stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all. Even if saving you sends me to heaven . . ._

Toshiro stopped at the base of a tree and called "Hinamoto –San? Are you up there?" The song stopped and a blackish-grayish head poked out of the branches then retreated back. The leaves rustled and she leaped out of the trees towards the northern side of the campus.

What she left in her wake was baffling. He found millions of white rose petals scattered across the trail. The scent was so intoxicating and beautiful as the wind blew them into the sky.

***

I ran away from him and swore loudly. Why is he so persistent to follow me? Stinkin' stalker. Sometimes I swear that if heaven heard me they would cover their ears and fear for their immortal lives.

_ "Maybe he just wants to be with you," teased Shirobarakaze._

"Yeah, and then everyone is going to think I'm a princess and hollows stop eating people," I snapped.

_ "Then maybe he just want to hear your pretty voice sing or run his fingers through your silky hair," said Shirobarakaze._

" S-Shut up, you know this is a sensitive place for me. Say anything else and I'll smack your head until it lands into the Seireitei." She can be so annoying sometimes.

_ "Fine, Miss Cranky," said Shirobarakaze._

I wanted to watch the fireworks so bad, but if I go back he'll find me. But I could always release Shirobarakaze and make my own fireworks, but then again the whole school would sense my reiatsu and bring torch this place. Bored, I took out my drawing notebook ( I always have my notebook on me ) and finished one of my past drawings. In the picture I was wearing a white kimono with the sleeves billowing out and in the background was a maiden with pale lavender hair towering over me. My hand was stretched out as if calling out to her and the wind was swirling around me.

I was drawing rose petals in the wind when a voice said "Nice drawing, Hime-san" and this was not Shirobarakaze. I turned around and found a smirking Toshiro Hitsuguya.

I held back a yelp and coolly said "Shouldn't you be back at the show?" He didn't answer but sat next to me. Then he turned to me and looked at me for while. "Shouldn't you be there too, Hime-san?"

***

"Shouldn't you be back at the show?"

"_She draws very well," said Hyorinmaru_

But Toshiro wasn't paying attention to his zanpaktou. He was mesmerized by her features again. They looked more pronounced in the gentle light of the moon and her long hair, he noticed, was a blackish-grayish color that swayed in tune to the breeze. Her lips looked like a soft blossom that has just sprung into bloom.

He was drawn to her sad yet peaceful face, those sharp eyes and the softness of her voice caressed him, drowning him in its mysterious depths. The girl looked like she could dissolve at anytime. She was hiding something and he was going to find out.

Then he remembered that she had asked a question, so he hastily said "Shouldn't you be there too, Hime-san?" She stayed silent and then said "I have no use for such frivolous activities, I'm graduating from the Academy and will be transferred to the punishment force." Toshiro thought he detected a hint of bitterness in her response.

_ "Master, she is graduating tomorrow, but aren't you too?"_

"Yes, but I'll be entering the Gotei 13, not the Omeitskido."

_ "Its such a shame you did not meet her before this afternoon, she is such a temptress don't you think, boy.I can see why you have taken such an intrest in her. Oh look she is nodding off already. You should go carry her to her dor-."_

"I may be tired, but that doesn't mean I can't hear you two debating," said Kurohime.

Toshiro was at a lost for words. How could she hear his zanpaktou in HIS mind? Could she read minds? "Baffled, aren't you, Toshiro Hitsuguya? I'm surprise you didn't know this in the first place." She turned her head towards him and her eyes. Her eyes were not that fiery purple-red color but rather a silvery- blueish color.

"This is half the reason they call me Demon, the Witch," she said. Her face was cold but he could tell she was blushing slightly.

With that she took her leave. Toshiro watched her gracefully glide across the field and disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

_ "Master, are you ok?"_

But right now he did know if he was ok or not.

***

I hated that I was blushing and to make things worse Shirobarakaze was laughing her head off in my head. A Temptress?!?! I'm not pretty at all. In fact he should be running at the sight of me.

_ "Well, you are kind of pretty, and you singing and drawing isn't making it easy for him._

"you're not making this easy for me, Shirobara." Shirobara was the nickname I used when I was frustrated or angry at her.

_ " Too bad, Hime-san. You know I think he might have even fallen head over heels if you stop being so stiff. Maybe if you've had been a little more gentle with him . . . "_

"Don't talk nonsense, Shirobara. No one can fall in love that fast and if it is true then it's probably an infatuation."

_ Shirobarakaze sighed. "You're probably right . . . as always. Though it would be funny if that happened."_

I ran off to my dorm before the night guard could see me and then I sneaked into the covers before my dorm mates could tattle on me. Its not that they hate me, they just listen to rumors too often, so they just leave me alone.

_ "Hime-san? You know you liked those compliments that Hyorinmaru and Toshiro were giving you, even though you eavesdropped on them._

I sighed and said "Shut up, Shirobara, I'm trying to sleep here." But inside I knew she was right because I was a fool.

***

Toshiro was about to leave also when he noticed something lying in the grass. He went over to pick when he realized this was Kurohime-san's notebook. He quickly leafed through the pages and stuffed it into his robes.

_ "Master, what are you doing? Isn't that the girl's notebook?"Hyorinmaru asked._

"yes, I going to read it then return it to her later."

_ Hyorinmaru almost choked on his words, "Why would you do that?! The right thing would be to return it to her."_

"I want to learn more about her, that's all. I can't enter the girl's dorm room. I'm male, she's female."

Toshiro first looked through her music and lyrics. He didn't know much about music though so he just looked at the lyrics. They were beautiful and would sound even more beautiful if she was singing it herself. There were not many upbeat songs. There were more melodic and sad ballads than upbeat tunes. Just like herself.

Toshiro then looked through all the drawings in the notebook. There were many pictures that she drew of herself and the detail was absolutely stunning. But in every picture she had that sad, lonely look and she looked so fragile. The woman in the in the background was probably her zanpaktou.

In every picture there was Kurohime-san and scenery. But at the end of the note book was a happy picture of Kurohime, another girl with golden hair, an older woman who was their guardian, and an overly furry cat. But Kurohime appeared to be laughing. This was the first time Toshiro had seen her smile.


	4. Shattered Memories

There were doodles, pictures, and various lyrics to different songs that she probably wrote. But it was the first hundreds of pages that caught Toshiro's attention. Careful not to rip the tattered pages he started reading.

_Mother gave me this today on my birthday! She said I could write things down when I get bored. So my first entry in this journal is to thank to whoever's up there for Mother, Onee-chan and maybel, my furry cat._

_People in the streets look scared whenever I play outside. But when I asked mother, she told me not to worr y. That look on her face was scary. Maybel ate the neighbor's fish as it was cooling on the window. Thank goodness that mother didn't find out._

_I'm sorry I didn't write in you for the past week. But there was a storm and I was afraid that you might get blown away or something. Today I heard mother singing. It was so beautiful and the birds gathered to watch. It was like that human story parents told their children. What was it? Oh I think it is called snow white. _

There was blood on the next couple of pages so the words on the next pages are incoherent so Toshiro had to guess what they were.

_I'm scared. Mother and Onee-chan died when I woke up. There was blood all over the floor and my bed. There was a message written in blood near Maybel's body. They told me to get out of Rukongai or this will be me in the future. I don't know what to do. Who would do such a thing? I swear I will kill whoever that did this._

_I think I'm dying. People were running after me and they were holding torches and swords. One of them cut me on the leg today. I don't know how long I could keep this up. I also had a dream today. A beautiful lady appeared in the dream. She was pretty and it smelled like roses. She said something but I couldn't hear it. _

_More people chased me today. I heard one of them say that I killed my father and many more. But that's impossible , I've never been near a weapon in my life. It's getting harder to walk so I had to steal medicine from someone's house. I'm hiding in the abandoned shack by the river and its so cold. The dream happened again. The lady told me her name was Shirobarakaze, then I woke up._

_I can't take anymore of this! What is wrong with these people?!?! I have so many cuts on me that it hurts to write this. I think I may passed out soon. So I better hurry and get away from these peop . . ._

_I woke in a fancy house in the middle of nowhere. A lady was rinsing my towel. She smiled when I woke up. Right know she is in the kitchen making something for me to eat. What a nice lady. It still hurts to get up but at least I could write. _

_I forgot that still had you but I must leave this place before they get me too. They killed Miss Saihete in front of me. I wondered if these were the men who murdered my family. But at that time I didn't care. After Miss Saihete's corpse dropped to the ground, I lost control. A huge gust of wind blew in and they died by cuts. Why, is this always happening to me? These men probably had wives and children but why are they hurting a girl out of all people? I can't bear to see another drop of blood again, especially others._

_The men told me why they were chasing me. They told me that I tortured people when I was young and murdered my father in cold blood. I've never seen anyone else besides mother. But that can't be the reason they killed mother and Onee-chan. So why? But before I could think of an answer, they stuck something through my chest. The huge gust of wind blew this except it was stronger and it destroyed everything and everyone. The only reason I'm alive is that Shirobarakaze-san healed my wounds. I have trouble breathing though. I almost forgot I HAVE A ZANPAKTOU!!!!!!!! _

_I got accepted into the Shinigami Academy today. I finally can stop running and make friends! I start tomorrow. Yay for me!_

_I tried to talk to my dorm mates today, but they won't talk back. Oh well, I'll just try again tomorrow. I'm just so happy. I can't imagine how long this feeling has been absent in my life._

_In class today, something weird happened. It was like I could read the guy next to me's mind. What a perv. I got sent to the nurse because my eyes changed color. Oh what fun was this trip. Whoopee._

_I have so much work today. But I can squeeze a couple of minutes in. People gave me funny looks when I went to go get lunch. I wonder what I did?_

_A girl came up to me today and I tried to say hi. But she slapped me. What the hell? "Demon," she spat at me, "Witch, go back to your cave!" I felt like I was drowning when people pointed at me and whispered. I wanted to know what they were saying but I wanted to know so I did what I did the other day. I blacked out and I heard a girl's voice say "Is that girl the Witch?" Another voice chimed in and said "yeah, she killed a lot of people for fun and her mom and her sister were tortured to death by her. I immediately left that girl's mind and came up to her to give her a kick in the shins._

_The last few days were horrible and the whispers wouldn't stop and now everyone cringe every time I destroy a target in target practice or when I land a hit on someone during sparring. To make things worst they all started to call me The Demon and The Witch. The only one who would talk to me is Shirobarakaze. I've also taken up a hobby to sing because I don't want to cry all the time._

_Great, the teachers started to call me Demon and Witch too. The only one who doesn't is Hiashi –Sensei and god knows when he's gonna crack. _

_It's been a year since I wrote in you, journal. I like to spend time drawing and singing in a meadow. Hiashi-Sensei is the only one who uses my real name without flinching. Black Princess apparently makes people squirmish. He said I'm to graduate at the end of this year if I keep my grades up. There is only one person who has better grades then I sadly and when I checked his scores they were a lot higher then mine._

_Its been a long time since I wrote in you. I mainly use you to draw now. In two days I be gone from this god awful place._

Toshiro closed the journal and went to sleep, thinking about what he just read.


	5. Halo

I woke up with one thought in I mind. It was the day I graduated from the Shinigami Academy and was going to enter the Omietskidos. When I got dressed, I noticed something was missing from my robes. There was usually a bump in my pockets, all I felt was cloth. Then it dawned on me, my journal. My face went pale at the thought of anyone finding it. It contained my personal thoughts and projects.

_ "Missing something?"Shirobarakaze asked._

"Yes, my journal. Did you see it?"

_ "Didn't you draw in it last night and left it at the clearing, Hime-San?"_

"Why didn't you remind me to get it yesterday, Shirobara?!"

I left for the clearing as soon as I left the dorms. When I got there, I searched frantically for the tattered book. All I found was grass and flowers. I couldn't let anyone find it, or that will be the end of me. I was ready to tear up the place when a voice said "Looking for something, Hime-san?"

***

Toshiro got up early to gaze at the sunrise. This would be the last time he would look at for a long time. As he was getting dressed, his eye caught a certain notebook and he remembered.

_ "Master, do you remember you have to return that to the girl," asked Hyorinmaru._

Cursing, Toshiro ran all the way to the girl's dorms and looked at the sleeping guard's directory book. When he found Kurohime's room, he shunpoed all the way to her room to find the door unlocked and a huge mess.

_ "She must have woke already, and went on a frenzy trying to find her book. The one you took," Hyorinmaru said._

He felt a familiar reiatsu coming from the (nothern?) side of the campus. He hurried there to find a figure kneeling on the ground, searching frantically for something. This must be Kurohime-San in the morning. He cleared his throat and said "Looking for something, Hime-San.

She turned around and screamed "Give it back!!" She looked desperate and frightened. Suddenly, Toshiro regret reading her journal. "Please give it back." This wasn't a statement but a pleading request. Toshiro reached into his robes and took her notebook out. "Did you read it," she whispered. Toshiro didn't know what to say to her. "Did you read it?!?!" He looked at her and by realization she got her answer. "Why?"

***

I felt as if someone had stripped all of me away and left me with all my worst thoughts. Then a thought hit me. What if he told someone else? What would happen if someone knew? I felt tears threatening to spill at very thought. "Please, please don't tell anyone. Don't tell anyone what you saw. Please," I croaked.

I looked up. What was it that was in his eyes? Pity, or disgust? He didn't say anything but held his hand out as if to help me. I refused it and stood up, then I grabbed my journal and shunpoed out of there before he could catch me.

_ "Mistress, are you ok?" _

I know Shirobarakaze means well, but she has horrible timing. I didn't answer. Even I didn't know how I felt. Should I feel angry and betrayed or happy that I shared something about me with someone. I landed on a tree and sat down. Taking out my journal, I flipped through it. Nothing was ripped out or damaged, but I saw little creases where some of the pages were bent when they were being turned.

That little snot! He must have read through everything, even my music! I thought. But when I got to the end, I noticed something was gone. The picture of me and my family, laughing. The only happy memory I had.

***

One moment she was here then she was gone. Toshiro ran his hand through his hair and sighed. At least he had something that belonged to her. He wanted to see that pale face smile. But who were the two that were in the picture?

_ "Boy, what did you do now?"_

" I just wanted something from her," Toshiro said with drippy innocence.

_ "Well, what did you take from her?"_

"Just a little something to remember her by."

_ "Master, can I ask you something?"_

"Go ahead, Hyorimaru."

_ "Do you care about her?"_

"Maybe, perhaps time will tell soon."

The bell rang and that was the time for the ceremony. Crap! Toshiro shunpoed quickly through hoards of students and by the time he got there the doors were half-way closed. He slipped through just in time and took his seat at the back. A few rows down he could see Kurohime sitting alone in a huge crater of empty seats. Oh well, he'd go and talk to her later. The ceremony was quite dull and everyone fidgeted so often that Toshiro had started doing that too. But Kurohime just sat still, paying attention to the headmaster's every word. As everyone was being assigned to their squads, Kurohime-San's head perked up and was paying more attention then before.

"Hinamoto, Kurohime. You are assigned to the Commander of the Omeiteskido Personal Guard Squad," announced the Headmaster.

Immediately, the whole room was gasping and bursting with commotion.

"She's that strong?! I wouldn't want to cross her at all."

"I wonder why she joined the Omeiskidos instead of the Gotei 13?"

"Who cares, at least we don't need to see her anymore."

"I already feel sorry the poor sap who's going to be killed by HER."

At this, Kurohime bowed her head and sunk down her seat. "Poor girl," thought Toshiro.

***

I made it to the Commander's personal guard squad. So why don't I feel happy? Was it because of the whispers or that I felt afraid that it would be like the last time? "Hitsuguya, Toshiro. You are assigned to Squad 10 of the Gotei 13. The room stopped whispering and started cheering.

"Wow Toshiro. Squad Ten! I could never beat that!

"Congratulation, Toshiro!"

_ "He must be pretty strong, but he still lost to you," said Shirobarakaze._

"I don't care. Let the brat parade himself around and see what happens to him later. He's gonna turn into a brat anyways."

After the ceremony was over, I ran to the clearing on last time. The moon was already out so that meant the ceremony took all day, but I wasn't sore anywhere. Everyone else was at the celebratory feast, but what does that matter to me. I gazed at the moon and out of habit started singing a new song. It was so beautiful tonight and this would probably be the last time I'd have some peace and quiet.

I took out my journal to start writing and an annoying behind me said "why aren't you eating, Hime-san?" A vein in my head popped. Why was this guy so annoying? Has the world ended now that someone talked to me so many times without insulting me?! I slammed my journal shut and turned to face him. "Why aren't you there too, Toshiro? Too much pride to show your face there or finally snapped?" I tried to sound polite, but somehow it slipped out of me and almost nothing sounds polite with clenched teeth. Its not that I hate him, it's that since I met him, he's turned into a (stalker?)

He blushed at this comment and smirked (poor guy, thinks he could actually dupe me). "Well, now that I think about it. I don't know why I worrying over an ungrateful pinhead like you. If you want food, you're gonna have to get it yourself," he retorted. "I have food, thank you very much and if you won't mind-" "What are you eating then?"

I froze. He got me there and my stomach finally decided to announce its presence.

Shirobarakaze was laughing hysterically and so was Hyorinmaru and Toshiro mentally. But they stopped as soon I glared at them.

***

Toshiro was having a good laugh in his head when he noticed Kurohime's eyes turn silver. She was emitting a monstrous reiatsu. The reiatsu twisted and contorted itself around her, then her eyes returned to normal but her reiatsu was getting stronger by the minute. She sank to her knees, gasping and panting. Toshiro went to help her but she croaked "Stop, don't come close. You'll get hurt."

_ "Master, try to get as close to her as possible, then focus your at hers and concentrate." _

Toshiro crept as close as he could and her reiatsu flared out clashing with his. Her eyes widened and snapped close at the wave of pain that washed over her. Her reiatsu eventually weakened and it seeped back into her. "T-thank you, Toshiro Hitsuguya," she rasped.

He looked at her when she said this. She seemed to be shivering and her breathe was coming out as clouds of vapor. Who wouldn't after they clashed with Toshiro Hitsuguya. He went over to her and knelt down to examine her. She seemed even paler then usual, her lips were turning a purplish color, and her hair was flaked with tiny ice crystals that shimmer every time she moved. Kurohime 's eyes suddenly dulled and returned with vibrant colors that disappeared as soon as they came." My zanpaktou thanks you as well, Hitsuguya- Chan." "No problem," he said.

***

That was unbelievable. I didn't know what happened. My reiatsu had slipped from my control and I almost went on a killing spree and what was more unbelievable was that someone cared enough to come close and help stop me.

_ "Kurohime, are you okay," asked Shirobarakaze._

"yeah, are you?"

_ "It's really cold in here and there was ice on me, so what do you think?!"_

"okay, sorry for that."

I hope I wasn't shivering but I couldn't help it. It was freezing and Toshiro wasn't flinching from the cold at all. I turned to him and saw him looking at my opened notebook. What is with this guy?!?! Then I saw him looking at my song and I immediately snatched my book out his hands before he could read anymore.

"You're really curious aren't you, Hitsuguya-Chan," I asked. His eye twitched and he turned away from me. Oh well, I won't be seeing him again so I let him gag under his breath (which by the way I could hear) and then I socked him in the shoulder.

Reviews Please! This is short and next time I'll make it longer! Oh yeah tell me if it sucks so I can edit it!


	6. Keep Holding On

I reported to my new superior as soon as I moved into my new room. " Hinamoto, Kurohime reporting for duty, Commander." Then I opened the screen door to reveal a dark skinned woman in the Omeitskido uniform. "Commander, I'm here to serve under you and if required will die for you."

_ "So melodramatic, Hime-san," said Shirobarakaze._

A sudden groan from the Commander's direction and I dared to look up. "Commander? Are you ok," I asked. The woman laughed and said "Does this look ok? Awww, everyone here is such a tightass and they're no fun."

_ "She looks really fun! Hopefully she can make you more lively," said Shirobarakaze._

I had no idea what to do this in situation, so I started to panic. "Commander?" The woman frowned slightly and said," You know, we have got to change that. I don't like anyone calling me "Commander" and I don't call you subordinate, right?" I nodded. "So how about I call you Kurohime and you call me Yoruichi? Okay?"

My face brightened at this and I nodded enthusiastically. "Good, so now that we got that settled, let's go eat lunch." I hesitantly got up and as soon as my foot hit the ground, Commander Yoruichi grabbed my hand and I was dragged behind her as we shunpoed past the training grounds and other various buildings I've never seen in my life.

When we got to the dining hall, everyone got on there knees and shouted "Good afternoon, Commander Yoruichi!" Yoruichi pouted and since she didn't let go of me yet, I was pulled forward in front of the whole force. Yoruichi nudged me forward as if to encourage me. I immediately bowed and said " My name is Kurohime Hinamoto. I hope we'll be able to get along with each other.

Everyone laughed and my face was flushed. But then Yoruichi waved her hand in her direction and pointed at a seat at her left. I didn't know what to do but to go over and sit down. Someone passed me a bowl of rice and curry. It smelled delicous and it tasted like it smelled also.

***

Toshiro finally set the last of his stuff down in his room. Its been all day and he hadn't even had a glimspe of his captain yet. He was hungry and tired and it was burning hot today. He decided to take a walk around the barracks for while. When he was walking, he recalled his last conversation with Kurohime Hinamoto. When she laughed, it had surprised him immensely. She then hit him on the shoulder and mockingly scolded him for intruding in her privacy.

Then she looked a bit sad and got up. "Goodbye Toshiro Hitsuguya. I hope we'll meet again someday.

***

I had just come back from my first real mission from the real world. Those hollows were easy to take care of, but the Menos Grandes were a nasty piece of work. My hair had got in my way and I was almost incinerated by a cero. I would have to do something about this if I don't want to die in the future.

That night, I took Shirobarakaze out into the garden and knelt down in the grass. Unsheathing Shirobarakaze, I took clumps of my hair and cut it down to my shoulders. I kept cutting at it until it was even or at least acceptable as a decent haircut.

The next morning people look at my (bad?) haircut and stared. I thought I had a bald spot until Commander Yoruichi pointed out that I still had two strands of hair that were unharmed, then she took out a knife and was prepared to cut it when I protested no. She looked at me funny, then smiled and dragged me to my next mission.

*2 years later*

I was the most feared person in the force and the loneliest. I was promoted to Yoruichi's fukutaicho and her successor in the Omietskido. There was a person in the force I really didn't want to cross. Soi Fon is her name and every time I'd walk past her, she'd give me angry looks and walk away. At dinner time she would keep throwing comments at Yoruichi and give me withering glares when the commander wasn't looking.

But tonight Commander Yoruichi wasn't at the Dining Hall and Soi Fon was panicking like crazy. When I was about to retire into my chambers, I felt many reiatsus clashing with each other. It was probably the patrol unit fighting multiple hollows. I wasn't sure, but I didn't care because it was a beautiful night and the cherry blossoms were falling.

I woke up to someone calling my name. I groaned and rolled over as the screen door flew opened. "Kurohime Hinamoto, you are to report to the Squad 1 barracks immediately. There was an incident last night that you should know about." Then the guy slammed the door shut so hard that the wooden frame shook. What a nuisance.

I hurried over to the Squad 1 barracks as soon I could. But when I got there, I could see the captains filing into the Captain's Meeting Hall. This must be serious for them to ask the captains to come. I was announced and as soon as I entered I felt many pairs of eyes stare at me when I knelt down to the Head Captain.

"Kurohime Hinamoto, are you aware of the situation at hand," asked the Head Captain. I shook my head, awaiting the worst possible outcome. "The Commander-in-Chief of the Omeitskido has defected from the Soul Society with former captain of Squad 12, Kisuke Urahara. You are to send out a search unit to bring them to them back."

My head was recoiling from the shock when Captain Yamamoto told me Commander Yoruichi has fled the Soul Society with Captain Urahara. But what had me close to fainting was when he said I'd be replacing Yoruichi as Commander-in-Chief of the Omeitskidos and was nominated to fill the position of Squad Two Captain.

But all I could think of why did Yoruichi go? Where was she right now? And did she know that the Soul Society was sending their lethal Punishment Force after her.

Its been 6 months and there was no success with finding them. Yoruichi and Urahara are a formidable team if I were to ever meet them in combat. Two weeks ago, I was sitting around drinking tea when a hell butterfly directly from the Captain-Commander announced that I would be replacing Yoruichi Shihion as Captain and Commander-in-Chief. I probably would be sent to Squad 4 for the look I had on my face.

***

Toshiro was doing paperwork when Rangiku burst into the office singing a dirty drinking song. "Ughhh, Matsumoto. This is the third time this week. If you don't do your share of the paper work, I'm going to make you stay up all night and day until there's no more left." Matsumoto walked over to his desk and examined the stack, then she gave Toshiro a huge hug that almost sent him to Squad 4. "Taicho, did you hear! Someone replaced Yoruichi Shihoin as Captain and the Commander of the Omeitskido! I think her name is Kurohime Hinamoto."

Toshiro wasn't paying attention to Matsumoto because he knew someone was filling in the position as captain for Squad 2, but Kurohime Hinamoto as in Kurohime Hinamoto from the academy?! He was named to the position of Captain of Squad 10 recently because he achieved bankai and was probably stronger than Matsumoto, but Hinamoto-San was from the Omeitskido so she must be formidable.

"Taicho, the ceremony is in two days. I wanted to meet her now! What a bummer." Toshiro got up from his seat and walked towards the door. "Taicho, where are you going? What about the paperwork?" Toshiro smirked and said "I'm going to take a break. Why don't you take care of the papers, Rangiku?" Rangiku grimaced but she sat down and grabbed a brush and a paper.

_ "Boy, what is going on here?"_

Toshiro just ignored the question and ran all the way to Squad 2. When he got to the barrack doors, he saw a group of people crowding around a Senkimon gate. He walked through the shouting group without getting hurt to see a patrol unit return from the World of the Living with their commander leading them back. The black-clad figure walked calmly through crowd with their zanpaktou drawn, but when they noticed him they sheathed their katanas and knelt. "Good morning, Captain Hitsuguya!"

The captain asked the one in front to stand up. She did as they were being told. Toshiro didn't see the person's face, due to the black mask covering their face but he did see a pair of violet eyes. "Follow me," he said. The person's eyes widened but she turned around and dismissed the unit. Toshiro lead the person to a secluded garden, then he said "Take off the mask." The eyes widened once again and she hesitantly took of the mask to reveal a pale face with dark purple lips and short unkempted blackish-silverish hair. "Hinamoto-San?" he breathed.

Toshiro might have added a few more things that had something to do with her appearance, but he was too shocked (shy) to do so. In two and a half years since they had met, she had changed dramatically. "Yes, Captain Hitsuguya?" As before he snapped back into focus and had asked her to follow him to his office.

***

I had to get back to Squad 2 but I couldn't refuse the wishes of a Captain. So I shunpoed with him to Squad 10 barracks. Everyone stared at us (namely me) and had started pointing and whispering. Only God knows what they were saying. Suddenly we stopped in front of a wide screen door. Toshiro opened it and inside the room was a busty blond woman doing paper work.

"Taicho, who's this? Your new girlfriend?" I immediately stiffened and opened my mouth to comment back but Toshiro stepped in front of me and snapped "You should watch who you're talking to, Matsumoto. This is the new Captain of Squad 2." I , if this woman was addressed as "Matsumoto" then she was the fukutaicho of Squad 10. I knelt down immediately and shouted "Please to meet you, Matsumoto-Fukutaicho!"

_ "Bit dramatic, don't you think Hime-san? That was unnecessary," said Shirobarakaze._

I heard footsteps coming my way and someone grabbed me by my shoulders, then I felt as if someone had pushed me against a wall. "Matsumoto-Fukutaicho, i-is that you?" After that I couldn't speak at all until someone else had pried me away from from her. I dropped to the floor because I was too weak to stand up from the fatigue and the "hug" I received from Matsumoto-Fukutaicho.

Matsumoto-Fukutaicho helped me to the couch after that. Then she kept pulling at my hair and telling me I was pretty. I looked at Hitsuguya-Taicho for help, but he shrugged and mouthed you're on your own. After that, I pulled away from Matsumoto-Fukutaicho and said goodbye .

I was wondering why Toshiro had me go to his squad when he had nothing to say. Not to mention I was still sore from my encounter with the Fukutaicho.

_ "Now that was fun wasn't it, Kurohime? You saw your old classmate again," asked Shirobarakaze._

"Shut up, Shirobara."

***

R-E-V-I-E-W-S What does that spell? Reviews!!!!!!!!


	7. Guardian Angel

Hello Peoples, Just making some changes

* * *

The day finally came where I was to be announced as a Captain publicly. I stood in the center of the meeting room, anxiously waiting for the ceremony to start. Then one by one, the Captains walked in with their fukutaichos behind them. The tension was killing me because the atmosphere was so depressing!

I got a little wave from Matsumoto-Fukutaicho and I was about to return it when the Captain-Commander walked past me to his seat. "We gather here today to welcome Hinamoto, Kurohime into the Gotei 13 and celebrate her rise to Captain and Commander-in-Chief of the Omeitskidos." Then all the captains turned to me, waiting for an answer. "T-thank you, Sou-Taicho. I look forward to working with all of y-you in the future.

_"Oh boy, you never stutter when you talk. So why now," asked Shirobarakaze._

"Meeting adjourned," said the Sou-Taicho. I stiffened as the Captains walked past me, some giving me encouraging comments and some walked past with cold faces. Then I felt as if the wind was knocked out me and something was locked across my throat and chest. "Hime-san! Congratulations!" "Matsumoto-fukutaicho? Is that you? Could you let go of me please?" I heard something between a snort and laugh coming from behind me and I was released.

Toshiro watched as Kurohime was regaining the little color of her face (as if that was possible). Matsumoto was gushing over Hinamoto's new uniform, but Hinamoto-San was saying, no insisting that the Omeitskido uniform too revealing. Which was true in Toshiro's point of view . . .

Kurohime had noticed Toshiro staring at her, so she walked over and narrowed her eyes then asked "What are you staring at, Captain?" Toshiro noticed that she emphasized the word captain. Hyorinmaru was laughing quietly inside his head and he had just realized that he was blushing (slightly).

He walked out of the meeting room when he saw Kurohime-San on the roof watching the birds fly. How did she get out so fast and without letting him see her? Suddenly, Kurohime turned around and said "I'll see you later, Hitsuguya-Taicho and Matsumoto-Fukutaicho. Perhaps you could come with me to a unit patrol sometimes."

After that, Toshiro went back to his office to finish his paperwork and Rangiku was off gallavanting in some sake bar in god-knows-where. It's been an hours since he had stood up his legs were asleep. He got up to stretch when a hell butterfly flew through his window. He held out his hand and extended his finger so the butterfly could land. "Captain of 10th Company, Commander Hinamoto has requested you to join her on a scouting patrol in the world of the living. If you wish you may join or have a good day."

Toshiro was still thinking about it when Matsumoto burst into the office, staggering. "Taicho, did you get the message from Hinamoto-Taicho? Can we go?" Toshiro was going to say no but he wanted a break from all the paperwork. "Why not, Matsumoto? But you have to do the remainder of the paperwork when we get back." Matsumoto nodded and they were off.

My personal unit had already departed to the living world and I was itching to get a move on. One more minute I thought.

_"Why aren't you wearing your haori, Hime-san? Did you ask Hitsuguya to come with you so you could show off," asked Shirobarakaze._

"Shut up, Shirobara. I gonna strangle you as soon as we get back," I hissed. "Strangled who, Commander Hinamoto?" I turned around and Hitsuguya-Taicho was so close to my face that I felt myself blushing. "Never mind that. Shall we go, Hitsuguya-Taicho," I said in a lilting voice. "Ladies first, Commander," he said in a voice that matched my previous tone.

That little brat! If he didn't want to come then why did he? I ran towards the Senkeimon gate and disapeared into Dangai Pass. When I got to the world of the living, I found a mass of tall black figures. Menos grandes, I thought. "First Divison, see if you can see where they're coming from. Second divison, I want you to try to attack the Menos Grandes. But pull back if any of them release a cero, okay?" "Yes ma'am!" Then my unit vanished.

I ran towards the hoard of Menoses and Hitsuguya-Taicho was there, chopping away with his zanpaktou. What a horrible way to kill hollows. I smashed my fist through one and and kicked two other in the mask. Suddenly, a huge dragon froze my next opponents. I looked over my shoulder and Toshiro smirked at my direction.

I shattered ice and killed the hollows without hesitation. I made a round-house kick at a circle of menoses and saw Toshiro summon his dragon again. His ice crystals were very bothersome at this time and it was very cold right now, espsecially in my uniform. I sighed and kept hitting.

Hyorinmaru glided through the skies and smashed into various hollows. Toshiro looked over his shoulder and saw Kurohime's side was almost clear, save for a few. She wasn't even using her zanpaktou. Hyorinmaru had cut into the mask into a menos grande and Toshiro pulled it out.

He looked over his shoulder and Hinamoto-san was gone. Where was she? "Baka, you should paying attention to your opponent, not to the sky." He turned around but saw nothing. A hollow lunged for him but he drove Hyorinmaru into its mask and it disintergrated. He turned again to see Hinamoto-San pulling her foot out of a menos and shoved her fist into another.

Toshiro heard a loud whirling sound and was about to turn around yet again when a figure materialized in front of him. "Baka! I told you to pay attention to your opponents." He saw the Commander with her zanpaktou drawn, deflecting a cero. The she vanished again, only to reappear again slicing a menos in half.

_"It looks like you were off guard today, boy," said Hyorinmaru._

"Is everyone ok?" Toshiro walked towards the Commander and she turned around and barked "Follow me." He thought it was meant for him, as soon as the words left her mouth, hundreds of black-clad people lined up in the back of him. He heard a Senkeimon gate open and ran through the dark pass to the Soul Society.

"Everyone, that was good work. How about letting your commander treat you to some ramen?" Immediately, her guard squad cheered and so did Matsumoto too. Toshiro walked up to Kurohime when Matsumoto pushed him out of her way to get to the commander. "Hinamoto-Taicho, here." Kurohime looked at the small envelope that the fukutaicho had given her and gave her a puzzled look. Then she tucked it into her uniform and they went to go eat ramen.

I was trying to eat my ramen but my men were trying to get close with Matsumoto-fukutaicho. I didn't mind, but they were creepy and I was trying to eat. Toshiro just poked at his ramen and he had a faraway look. Conversing with his zanpaktou, I thought. I quickly zoomed out of my body and slipped into his mind.

_"Master, what are you doing? She sitting across from you, do something," said Hyorinmaru._

Do what? I thought . . .

_" I don't need advice on how to win a girl, besides I don't want your advice ," said Toshiro._

_"Well, just ask her then, though I think she does though. Otherwise she wouldn't be teasing you."_

_"She didn't tease me! She was just impatient when she was waiting for us," said Toshiro._

I zoomed out of his mind and entered my body before anyone noticed something was wrong with me. I ate faster and Matsumoto said "Hinamoto-Taicho, your face is red and so is Taicho's. Were you doing something?" I choked on my noodles and started coughing. Apparently so did Toshiro, but his coughs were a lot louder and . . . funny.

I left the restaurant and pulled out the envelope Matsumoto-fukuaicho had given me. It was blue and had the symbol ten on it. I opened it and read "Hinamoto-Taicho, the entire Squad ten would like to host a party in your honor. All the other squads are showing up and it would mean a lot if you did too. Hugs and kisses, Matsumoto, Rangiku."

Great, a party. I didn't like to socialize but they were sending me on a guilt trip. The entire seireitei was going be there and sadly I had to also.

_"Don't worry. Just go and enjoy it or you'll be regret not joining," said Shirobarakaze._

I sighed and went back to Squad 2 barracks. I don't know everyone yet, but the ones I do give me cold looks. I walked toward the courtyard and awaiting me there was a huge commotion. There was a huge man in the middle that was supposed to be my (3rd?) seat. People were cheering for him and I wondered why. The man stepped forward and shouted "My name is Maechiyo Omaeda! Why have you, a bloodthirsty demon become a Captain when soul reapers stronger then you cannot. I'm willing to challenge you to prove this wrong!"

The pain of being called demon again hurt and with added bonus of being called bloodthirsty was just asking for it. But I didn't feel like hurting this man, even if he was asking for it, so I decided to play with him. "If you can beat me, I'll step down from Captain and let you take over, and I'll make it easy for you. You can use anything to cut me, but I'll restrain myself to one finger. Does that sound fair," I asked.

That seemed to make the huge man shrink a few inches, but then he smirked and boomed "I think I can take on a little girl, bring it!" Then he was off. He thought that if he used his zanpaktou he'd cut me. Stupid idiot. I shunpoed away from his sight and landed on his shoulder like a bird. "Its been fun while it lasted, but I must end this before you get anymore crazy thoughts in your head." Then I flicked his huge head as hard as I could and he flew through the air and landed in a bush. "Take him to Squad 4. I didn't hit him hard so he should up and around in a few hours."

Toshiro was in his office sipping tea as he waited for more paperwork to come. It was so quiet and peaceful in here he thought. BAM! Matsumoto slammed the door wide open and ran towards him. "Taicho, you should have seen it. I was at Kira's and we went over to go see Hinamoto-Taicho but she was fighting some fat guy in the courtyard. She ended the fight before it even began by flicking his head! The guy was put in Squad 4!"

Was Matsumoto drunk or sober? He knew that Hinamoto-San was strong but what Rangiku said was just unbelievable. Then she stopped to breathe and it was like watching a light bub light up. "Taicho, we've got to get ready for the party now!" Toshiro's radar went skyhigh as his fukutaicho said the word "party".

"Party? What party, Matsumoto." Matsumoto said nothing and threw an envelope in his direction as she exited the office. He opened it and read the contents. Oh well, since the party was hosted in his squad, he'd have to show up. He ran his fingers through his hair and wondered where was the paperwork.

He got up and the envelope fell to the floor. He stooped to pick it up and another piece of paper fell out. "Taicho, Commander Hinamoto was kind enough to finish our paperwork because she knew that we were planning her party. P.S She'll return all the ones that need your signature." He shook his head and sat down again to finish his tea.

It was time for the party and I was going to be late. I lost track of the time when I was doing work and no one bothered to remind me what time was it. I made it to the barrack doors, but suddenly I hesitstated. I've never been to a party before so what if I said something stupid and made a fool of myself. Then I felt myself being crushed from the inside as Matsumoto-Fukutaicho hugged me.

"Hinamoto-Taicho, where were you? We were getting worried that you weren't coming." Then Matsumoto picked me up by the waist and she walked inside. It was beautiful tonight, the cherry blossoms were in bloom and everyone gathered under is branches. I paid more attention to the flowers then I did to everyone else. Unfortunately, so did everyone else. Matsumoto asked me to sing a song for them, but I told them I couldn't sing. "Nonsense, Hinamoto-tai-taicho, Taicho told me you had a beautiful singing voice." I gave a glare to Toshiro and everyone started chanting. "Sing, sing, sing, sing!"

I groaned mentally and sang the most (happiest?) song I've heard myself. I must admit that I loved the attention they were giving me, with the whooping and cheering. I felt like the center of attention (which I was and still am).

_"Nice song Hime-san. Did you see Toshiro's face. It was so hilarious!" Shirobara said. Then she erupted with hysterical laughter._

I got up and walked up to a tree far away fom the group. The flowers were falling and I reached to pluck one, but it fell apart when my fingers touched it. I was going to reach for another when someone beat me to it. Surprised, I spun around and Toshiro Hitsuguya holding two blossoms in his hand. He held them towards me as he wanted to give them to me. I gingerly closed my hand around the two flowers, but I almost dropped them because they were so cold.

He looked at me inquisitively and took a flower from my palm. The he fixed the flower into my hair. I almost forgot about the cold sensation in my hand when I felt his piercing, teal eyes land on me. I looked down at the flower in my palm and saw blue-ish coloring at the tips at the petals. He must have froze it to preserve the blossom. My head jerked back up and I saw the most unusual thing. Was Toshiro Hitsuguya blushing and what was he blushing at? He then leaned his head forward until our noses touched. I almost fainted because I thought he was going to kiss me. But he smirked and said "ladies first." What the hell did he mean? The I realized I was blushing furiously and he meant to tease me. He laughed gently and said "Come on, lets get back to the party."

* * *

Bye-bye. :)


	8. Paper Flowers

The party was great, except Matsumoto-Fukutaicho kept slurring and spilling sake all over me. I hated that everytime I'd turn over to talk to Hitsuguya-Taicho, he'd smirk at me and I would feel myself blushing.

_"That was so funny! I thought he would kiss you and judging by your face you thought so too," laughed Shirobarakaze._

After the party was over, I went back to my barracks to get some rest. Unfortunatly, I remembered that I had papers that had to be delievered to Squad 10 immediately. I grabbed the whole stack of papers and shunpoed to Squad 10. I slammed the door wide opened and stormed across the office to put the papers on his desk. But I tripped on the couch leg and all the papers flew out of my hands. So I am now stuck at his office, scrambling to pick up papers before he came back.

"Hello, Kurohime-chan." Too late I thought. I scrambled faster and almost tripped again. Over in the corner, I heard a low chuckle coming from him. I whirled around and and hissed "What'cha laughin' about, midget?" Immediately, he stopped and growled "I'm not a midget, in fact you're shorter then me, Hime-san." I resisted the impulse to stick my tongue out like a child and thought about what would happen if I punched him in the face.

I just stooped down again and started to pick up papers. Suddenly, Toshiro kneeled down to help me pick up his papers. It was awkward and I was flusttered especially when we were both reached for the same papers and our hands accidentally touched. I jerked my hand back like I had touched fire. It wasn't like I did though. His hand felt as cold and hard as marble, but warm at the same time. As soon I finished, I ran out without saying goodbye and shunpoed back to my barracks to get some rest.

***

Toshiro had finished signing the papers, but it was too late to get Matsumoto to deliver them. His memory randomly pulled him back to the moment his hand had touched Hinamoto's. He remembered the light blush that had spread across her pale face afterwards.

_"She is quite pretty even after all those years. The purple on her lips add a more mystique look her face," said Hyorinmaru._

"What do you want, Hyorinmaru?"

_"I just wanted to ask why didn't you kiss her earlier. She was alone with you and nobody would have noticed."_

Toshiro stiffened up and said through clenched teeth "It doesn't matter if I kiss her or not because its not your love life and I don't even know what she is feeling. Besides if I did then she would have just slapped me."

Toshiro walked back to his room. He took a shower and went to bed afterwards. He thought about the party and remembered something. The song Hinamoto-san sang during the party was last song she sang during that night so many years ago. Hyorinmaru was right, she had grown over the years, though her stubbornness hadn't changed at all. He was lucky to have her as a friend.

Morning came and Toshiro woke up to the chirping of the birds. He put on his uniform and his haori and walked down to his office. There was a sudden commotion outside but Toshiro didn't care. But it came back again and he realized it was Matsumoto's voice, but that was impossible. She never got up this early before. Then Toshiro heard another voice. A timid, musical voice within the loud, singy-songy voice of his fukutaicho.

"Come on Hime-San, The Captain wants to hear you sing again." Toshiro grimaced and Hyorinmaru burst into laughter in his head. "Matsumoto-fukutaicho, please let go of me. I just came here to ask your Captain something." Toshiro heard some more struggling and a loud whack came from outside his door.

"Hinamoto, Kurohime, requesting permission to ente-" WHAM! The door flew open and there stood Rangiku with all her obnoxious glory. She walked in with a reluctant Kurohime. She walked up to his desk and asked quietly "Hitsuguya-Taicho, do you have any paperwork you don't want t-" Rangiku cut off Kurohime by giving her one of her famous back-breaking hugs. "Awwww, Hime-san! You're helping taicho so he could get a day off! That so adorable!"

Toshiro looked at Rangiku to Kurohime. He wanted to do his paperwork but he also wanted to sleep. Finally he nodded to Kurohime and she walked over to the counter to grab a stack. Toshiro was almost bursting with glee when he saw she was struggling under the weight of the papers. He went over to help her. "Here, I'll help you carry these to your squad." She looked annoyed but nodded again.

***

I normally would have shunpoed to my barracks, but I don't think he would catch up to me. Is this what he does all day? I was just volunteering because my squad had nothing to do until the afternoon patrol, but WOW with capital w-o-w. We finally reached my office and once he set down the papers he just stood there like a dunce. "Umm. . . you can go now, Hitsuguya-taicho." He just grunted and left. My guess would be that he spent so much time in his office, that he lost his ability to socialize.

How long was it since I started working? I looked at the clock on the wall, Shoot! I had to get to front of the barracks or my squad will leave without me. Without looking where I was going, I rushed to the barrack door knocking over people and crashed into various parts of the barracks.

I was rubbing my shoulders when I finally arrived. My squad had already opened the Senkiemon gate and were falling in to their positions. I nodded to my new fukutaicho, Soi Fon who lead my squad out to the field. I threw my haori to the ground and hoped none of the captains would find it, then I ran with the rest of patrol to the world of living.

***

Toshiro was just sitting in his office with nothing to do. Matsumoto on the other hand was out in some bar with Kira and Hisagi getting wasted. He sighed and poured himself another cup of tea. Maybe Hinmoto-taicho was already finished and was on her way here. But after a couple of minutes, he got impatient and ran all the way to Squad 2.

When he got there, he found a haori crumpled on the ground next to barrack doors. Toshiro picked it up and walked in, but a sudden thought stopped him. If her haori was here, then she was probably on a mission or she was attacked. He sighed again and proceeded into the barracks. It took a while to find her office, considering that he only followed her to it just today.

Kurohime was almost done, but she had skipped several papers and had a minute pile left. He pocketed the incomplete stack and a familiar item on her desk caught his eye. It was a ragged book, but when he flipped through it he realized that this was Kurohime's journal.

He sat down on a chair and started to read. The journal entries were of no interest to him. He had noticed that her art was more pronounced then ever, but he turned to her bookmarked pages. It was her music section. He read through the couple of pages of tiny neat handwriting. Toshiro still had no idea what the lines and dots were, but he read her lyrics.

_"I think my heart might I might explode, cause now I feel the weight of your love on me now. Fro-"_

"Hyorinmaru, what are you doing," asked Toshiro.

_"Singing, of course. You held the music in front of me so I might as well do that."_

"I would appreciate if you don't, please."

But Hyorinmaru didn't listen as he continued.

_"Now I know just a girl, trying to make my way back through this night. But now I feel bigger than the world, with your hand in mine."_

Toshiro listened closely to his zanpaktou as he sang offkey. It didn't sound good but he was sure that the rhythm was just as Hyorinmaru was singing to. Then he felt a familiar reiatsu in the distance. Kurohime was back from her patrol. He quickly slammed the book shut and tried to not focus what would happen if she caught him in here.

***

I ran back to my office to finish the papers that I hand to turn in. When I got to my desk, I saw nothing but the stack I finished and my journal. That little sneak! I went over to my chair to grab my haori, but my hands only grabbed air. Oh yes, I had thrown away my haori in front of the doors before I left. I quickly zoomed there, but all I found was dead leaves and dust. Oh why didn't I leave it in the bushes? My brain quickly ran through the list of the suspects and I finally find one. Wait till I get there. He's going to learn a new definition of pain.

Squad 10 was very far away from Squad 2, so I had to double my speed even though I was not on a mission. I burst through the entrance like an angry cow. People moved to the side and gave me a salute. Then I heard all kinds of gossip when they thought I was gone. I didn't care, I just wanted my jacket back because I was cold. Yeah that's right, I was cold.

I didn't bother to knock on the door as I stormed in. Toshiro just looked up and gave me a small hello. I walked up to his desk without tripping and grabbed his collar. "Listen, you little sneak. I know you came into my office today. So where is it?" It was like watching . . . nothing. He looked down at me and said " I have no idea what you're talking about, Hinamoto-Taicho."

"My haori, you dumbass. I left it outside my barracks when I went on the patrol. Give it back." A look of understanding spread throughout his face. He gently pulled my hand away from his collar and went over to his desk. He pulled out my haori, folded and sparkling white. He smirked and threw it over to me. "You wear too much perfume, Hime-san."

I almost tripped over nothing when he said that. I wear perfume? Sure I wash my hair everyday with scented shampoo but I do not wear perfume. "I wear no such thing ever in my life, Hitsuguya-Taicho," I said through clenched teeth. His smirk grew and said "It smells like a rose garden, Hime-san. It either that or you roll in a garden every morning. So which is it?"

I lifted the sleeve of my haori to my nose and cursed when I confirmed that he was right. I could feel myself blushing as the thought him smelling my haori ran through my mind.

_"He was just curious, Hime-san. You should really watching your face right now. It like watching paper getting painted on," said Shirobarakaze._

"What's wrong, Hime-san? Your face looks like it on fire. Maybe we should get you to a bed and a cup of water." I almost cursed out loud but retrained myself when I saw his face. He looked almost sincere, but I didn't know if I should buy it or not. I shrugged it away with a wave of my hand.

He just stood there and finally spoke again, except it was not what I wanted to hear. "So getting back to my previous question, do you wear perfume or not?" "NO!" Toshiro almost choked and he managed to say "So you're saying the scent just comes of you like sweat?" I ignored the question and asked him if he needed help with his next wave of paperwork. He just nodded to the couch and I took a stack of paperwork to the table and started working,

***

Toshiro sat at his desk, breezing through the paperwork like nothing. But it seemed to never end, so to pass the time he started humming a random tune. Suddenly a voice rose to the beat and started singing silently.

"Cause I can see everything from high and above, the earth is a little place next to my love. I can reach from here to where you are . . . "

Hitsuguya remembered that Kurohime was in the office with him and he tried to stop her, but she was vocalizing and she sounded beautiful.

"Bigger than the night that leads to day, bigger than the waves that crash the seas. Whooooaaaaaaaa, and now I know just a girl, trying to make to make my way back through this night, but now I feel bigger than the world with your hand in mine . . ."

She finished and went back to work , but then her head shot up and she turned around with a funny look. "How did you come across that song, Hitsuguya-taicho?" His face went from tan to a sickly shade of white. "Uhhh . . . I just remembered it from somewhere," he said. Her eyebrows shot up and she rose from her seat to his desk. "Lies," she hissed. "I made up that song just . . . oh why am I not surprised? You read my journal again, didn't you?"

Toshiro had no idea what to say, but she whispered darkly "What else did you see, Hitsuguya –taicho?" He thought back to the time he was in her office. He saw another song but the song she had sang had caught his attention, but there was nothing else. "Nothing else, Toshiro?" She sighed and went to the counter to pour herself a cup of tea. She took a cup near the pot and filled to the brim with the cold tea. As she was raising it to her mouth, Toshiro raced to her and snatched it from her hand.

"What the hell, Taicho? I was going to drink that." Actually, Toshiro had only snatched it from her for one reason, he had drank from that cup and he remembered what Matsumoto told him about an indirect kiss and if Kurohime found out then it would be madness. "You don't want to drink from that. It's dirty because its been sitting here for ages. Here, let me get you some warm tea."

Kurohime looked at him like he was crazy but she nodded. Trying to make some idle conversation with her to ease the tension he said "That song you were singing, was it about someone?" She grimaced and hastily replied "None of your business." He finally poured some of the steaming liquid into a clean cup and handed it to her. She winced at the temperature and set it down on the table.

Toshiro attempted to talk with her so she could reveal something about herself that wasn't her dark past. "I don't really know much about you, I always thought there was something mysterious about you, but I never knew what?"

Hinamoto shifted in her seat and asked "Well, what do you want to know, Taicho?" He thought about it for a while and said "I don't know. Your interests? I've seen your artwork and you always draw flowers."

She opened her mouth and closed again for a while. "I've always had an affinity for flowers, that's why I always draw them. They remind me of beauty and hope, that I'm not as horrible as people would like to think. That might also answer you question about my "perfume".

***

I never knew someone this observant before and I felt happy that I could talk with another. We would continue asking each other questions and when either of us blushed, the questions would step up a notch. When he asked me if I've ever loved a boy, Shirobarakaze was trying hard to stifle her very noticeable giggles and I was blushing hard. He then asked who but I told him no one.

"You're lying, Hime-san. You must have at some point." I responded by telling him that I was just blushing because the thought of it was just impossible. I looked out the window and saw stars. I got off the couch and opened the door. The moon was bright and the wind ran through my hair gently. I closed my eyes and relished in everything.

I heard Toshiro come outside, but I really didn't care. I started humming a song my mother used to sing when I was just a child. Then I turned around and said "Isn't the night wonderful? It's so much better than the day, right?" He gave me a small smile and I could her myself laughing. I was astonished because it's been a long time since I did. When I looked over at Toshiro, he gawked at me like I was from a distant world.

I suddenly remembered the time and I closed my eyes to remember this moment. Then I opened them and bid Hitsuguya-taicho goodnight just as a white cherry blossom flew into my hair.

* * *

The song was Bigger Than The World by Esme Denters

the last chapter wasn't really good so I'm gonna edit it soon, but if you want to help me click that little button over there . . .


	9. Weight of the World

Hello people, I just wanted to remind you that I don't own bleach just Kurohime_

* * *

I woke before the sun rose. I didn't know why though. The room was dark and there were obstacles I still had to get use to before I'd stop crashing into things. After running into the hamper and a chair I made my way to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.

_"Good morning, Kurohime-chan. What are you doing up this early?"_

I said "I always get up early, unlike a certain person in this room."

_"No, you should look at the clock, Hime-san. You got up two hours early than usual!!!!"_

My ears were ringing from that last sentence. During sometime in my life I would have to remember to get her to speak like a normal person. Once I got to the Omeitskido training grounds, I looked around to see if anyone was awake. Shoot, Shirobara was right, I thought. I walked further into the grounds and in the background I could hear a scuffling noise and a katana swinging in my direction.

"CLANG!" I drew Shirobarakaze and countered the hit before I got wounded. "Who are you and what purpose do you have on these grounds," snarled a voice. "My name is Hinamoto, Kurohime. I'm the Commander-in-Chief for the Omeitskidos and Captain of Squad 2." Immediately the katana withdrew and the voice shouted, "I'm so sorry, Commander Hinamoto. Please accept a thousand pardons for my incompetence." I realized the voice belonged to Soi Fon or was it someone else? "Soi Fon, is that you?" I heard a cross between a yes and a grunt but I took it to be Soi Fon.

"Get up, Soi Fon. Though I must ask why are you up this early?" I pondered on the question until a quiet voice answered "I always get up this early to train, Ma'am." Soi Fon looked up and I gave her a small smile. "Why don't we go get breakfast right now so you'll have more energy." That sounded incredibly cheesy coming from me. But so what? We ate rice with nori and drank several bowls of miso soup. Suddenly, we felt a huge reiatsu over at the South Gate. Hollows sneaked into the Seireitei, but how? The sekiseki should have corroded their very being, yet if we didn't do anything they would cause a lot of trouble.

Soi Fon already left the Dining Hall and I followed close behind. When we got there, huge hollows were smashing everything within reaching distance. Soi Fon unsheathed her zanpaktou and was jamming it into a hollow's mask. I gathered my reiatsu into my palm and shoved my hand into the hollows.

But no matter what we do to them, they keep coming. I looked over at Soi Fon and she was starting to get tired. Just then two hollows flew over to her and while she killed one, the other raked its claws her back. Immediately, she fell and coughed up blood. I picked her up and slung her across my back, but I couldn't fight like this.

I set her down gently and casted a kido barrier around her. Pulling Shiraobarakaze from her guard, I then threw her into air. "Sashi Muko, Shirobarakaze!" The katana dissolved into thin air and a huge breeze swept over me and it shifted into a tornado. The hollows roared and charged at the storm.

I never liked to watch my opponents die from multiple lacerations caused Shirobarakaze and I didn't like it now. Whenever hollows died, more came from wherever they were. Then when a hollow flew into the tornando, I saw a black hole in the background where there should have been a sky. Holding my hand out to the wind, a pure black and silver spear materialized into my hand. I spinned it like a baton and cried "Saita Hana!"

The attack ripped through countless hollow and collided with the garanta. I pushed harder and it started to close. After it did, I finished of the remaining numbers of hollows and went over to Soi Fon. She was struggling to breathe and when I turned her over, there were purple blotches spreading over the wound. Damn it, she was poisoned, I thought. Taking off my bloody haori, I covered Soi Fon in it like a blanket and shunpoed to Squad 4 barracks.

I made it to Squad 4 in record time. Unohana-taicho did not appreciate all the commotion I'd caused, but at least Soi Fon was ok and was resting in the company stable. It was freezing in the building and my breath came out as clouds of vapor. Still it was better then the chill I had received when I came in contact with Toshiro Hitsuguya. After thanking Unohana-taicho, I left to go back to my barracks to wash all the blood and grime from my skin and uniform.

***

Toshiro got up as soon as he could feel reiatsu clashing over in the far distance. A soul reaper and hollows fighting, he thought. He was about to back to sleep when the soul reaper's reiatsu spiked. The answer was clear to him now. Kurohime was fighting in the distance and was probably wounded. He got dressed and strapped Hyorinmaru to his back, then he was off to the Southern Gate near Squad 3.

As he got closer, he could smell the heavily perfumed air. A small explosion was heard and Hinamoto's reiatsu dropped. Toshiro panicked and picked up his speed. But when he got there, all he could find was a smoking crater in the ground. Over in the distance he could sense she had gone to Unohana's barracks.

Hitsuguya was relieved that Kurohime was not hurt, but annoyed that he couldn't find her anywhere. Unohana turned to him and said "Hitsuguya-taicho, may I ask you to return this to Hinamoto-taicho. I'm sure she'll be very pleased." He nodded and grabbed the blood-stained haori from her hand.

_"Master, were you afraid that the girl would die?"_

Toshiro wrinkled his nose at the question and said "Of course I'm not. She is a Taicho of the Gotei 13. She would never allow it herself."

Since there was no response, he set off for Squad 2. It was easy to get around the barracks now that he was so familiar with its layout, but it was the first time he'd ever gone to the Captain's room. He stood in front of the screened doors until a voice said "Nothing is going to happen if you opened the doors, Hitsuguya-taicho." He was about to go away, but his hand instinctively reached for and opened the door. Inside stood Hinamoto-san drying her wet hair with a towel.

She discarded it when she saw him and said "What can I do for you, Hitsuguya-taicho?" He said nothing in return and pulled out her bloody haori. She reached out to get it when she tripped on something. He had to stifle a laugh when he saw the towel on the floor beside her. Inside his mind he could hear Hyorinmaru give a low chuckle when she fell.

He held out his hand to her, but she refused it and got up herself. He noticed when she winced as her left hand grazed the floor. When Hinamoto stood up he saw her knuckles covered in bandages. She seemed to have noticed this and said "Don't worry. I'm fine. You would do this after you repeatedly punch through a hard surface." But he wasn't listening to her because her robe seemed to have shifted when she fell.

Kurohime's eye twitched and her face was growing crimson by each second. She adjusted her robe and then pushed him out her room.

_"Did you enjoy that, boy? I never knew she was so busty even when she wore her Omeitskido uniform," said a smug Hyorinmaru._

Toshiro blushed slightly as the image of Kurohime flashed in his mind. "I didn't enjoy that and you should keep your eyes in your head, Hyorinmaru."

_"Well, then if you come across her again, you better hide because you still have her haori, so she'd still be wearing the Omeitskido uniform."_

Toshiro grimaced when he saw that Hyorinmaru was right. He would clean it and return it to her later then.

***

I was still blushing after I pushed Toshiro out of my room. Thank god that Shirobarakaze was asleep. I dried the rest of my hair and went to put on a clean uniform. When I realized that he still had my haori, I went crazy in my mind. Finally, I settled down and planned o remind myself to kill him. I walked around the barracks until I got bored, so I went to the office and sat down. I was really tired especially after this morning's fiasco. So I fell asleep on the sofa in my office.

***

Toshiro was buried in paper work and Matsumoto was passed out on the couch, mumbling incoherent phrases. He wondered if he could ask Hinamoto if she could help him, but he couldn't help but replay the scene where Kurohime had blushed. His lip curled into a small smile against his will and he tried to get rid of it with no success at all.

Hours passed and Toshiro was still doing paper work. He overcame his pride and grabbed a huge stack of papers to take to Squad 2. It had taken him a while to get to her office, considering the sheer size of the stack. He didn't bother knocking and just went in directly.

The room was eerily silent when he entered so he just went over to her desk to set the papers down when a sight startled him. It was Hinamoto-san lying on the sofa, sleeping peacefully. Her sharp features were softened when she is sleeping, he thought. Her petite figure shivered when he got closer to her.

_"She looks so angelic when she is sleeping, so very vulnerable that you just want to comfort her," sighed Hyorinmaru._

Toshiro shrugged off his haori and gently placed it over her body. No point in going back now that I brought the papers here, he thought. So he sat down her chair and grabbed a brush and paper.

***

I woke up in my office, with sleep in my eyes. When I got up, something fell off of me and onto the floor. Puzzled, I picked it up and it was a captain's haori. I thought it was mine until I spotted a ten sign on the back. I turned around to get my journal from my desk, but I froze in place when I saw Toshiro gave me a small wave.

"W-what are you doing here, Hitsuguya-taicho?" He smirked and said "I came over here to apologize and to ask you if you could help me, but I found you asleep on your sofa." Suddenly the thought of him being here since I fell asleep registered in my mind. "Where's my haori then?" He paused and replied "I washed it since I didn't think you'd want to walk around in a dirty jacket." I was about to say something when the clock on my wall chimed. Afternoon patrol, I thought. I was about to call Soi Fon in but I remembered she was in Squad 4 recuperating.

Toshiro stood up and asked "May I come with you, Hinamoto-taicho?" Say hell no was my first choice of a response, but I needed someone to replace Soi Fon for a while so I nodded.

There was nothing in the world of the living so we were back earlier then usual. My squad went to the dining hall for lunch, but I said I had some pastries from this morning I didn't finish. Walking away from my squad, I was going back to Squad 2 barracks when a shadow followed me. Oh yeah, Toshiro had came with me to the World of the Living and I didn't see him until we got back.

We ate the pastries I had in my office silently. It was pretty awkward and we were sitting side by side next to each other.

_"Talk to him, Hime-san," said Shirobarakaze._

"Why would I," I said out loud. Toshiro jerked up and leaned closer to hear, but sadly I did not notice this at all when I was talking with Shirobarakaze.

_"He's sitting right next to you, and its pretty quiet around here."_

"I don't care. Why do you care so much, Shirobara?"

_"Fine, Miss Grumpy-pants."_

"I'm not grumpy. Besides you should see yourself when you get up. It's like me but worst."

_"Whatever, Hime-san. I hope you know he's listening to you right now."_

I stood up to yell "hey!" and punched the air with my fist, but I heard a husky voice laugh heartily. Oh crap, I forgot that he was in the office with me. "Shut up, Toshiro," I growled. This seemed to make him laugh more. "What were you saying about me, Hime-san. Do you like me," teased Toshiro. Then he stood up and put his hand on my bare shoulder. "Thanks for lunch, Hime-san. I look forward to it again." He left my office and my hand unconsciously went to the cold part of my shoulder that he had touched.

A few hours later, after I came back from the dining hall and went to my chambers. On my bed was a package that had a note attached to it.

"Here's your haori back. It doesn't smell like roses but it's clean. Sincerely, Toshiro Hitsuguya.

I held back a smile, but with no success, and he was right. It didn't smelled like roses.

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sorry 4 short chapter. reviews!


	10. Untouched

The stupid sun was shining in my room and I had to get up early (not as early as yesterday) for a captains meeting. I didn't bother to brush my bed head hair or smooth out the wrinkles in my uniform. Captains meetings were such a bother. Why couldn't they just use hell butterflies?

I stepped through the meeting hall doors and saw the Sou-Taicho and Unohana-taicho standing in their places. While I took my place, many other taichos shunpoed to their places. Its been only a couple of minutes and I was bored to death. "Captain meetings are torture, Kurohime-chan! Maybe we should send our prisoners to one of them and see how they like to hear the Sou-taicho rant on and on about minor affairs," Youruichi-sama said once to me. I chuckled lightly at the memory and stopped when the Sou-taicho slammed his cane to the floor.

"I call this meeting here to order. There have been reports of hollow activity in the northern distict of Rukongai and the Southern district of the Seireitei. Captain Hinamoto, I believe that you have fought them just yesterday. Wht do you make of this?"

My whole body stiffened when the Sou-taicho and the rest of the captains looked at me. "Uhhh, I am very sure that it might a disturbance, but I'll take full responsibility to send out my units to examine this, Sou-taicho." The sou-taocho nodded and said "Very well, you may go and-" The emergency alarm blared and a voice that can be heard throughout the soul society cried "Hollows rampaging the northwest quadrent of Rukongai. I repeat, hollow rampaging through northwest district of Rikongai.!"

The Sou-taicho looked a me and nodded. I tossed away my haori and left the room so fast that a smoke image of me was probably left behind. The hollows there were incredibly weak and were of no trouble, but the huge hollows were a pain in the ass. Like yesterday, their numbers didn't decline but increased more. Suddenly an echoing roar sounded throughout the hollows from above. I looked up and was frozen to the ground I was standing on.

Damn it, Menos Grande! But how, I thought. Charging at full force, I slaughtered countless number of hollows before a menos approached me. I jammed my fist into it face and filled it my reiatsu which blew it up. When I was watching the one I killed dissolve, a group of menos grande formed a circle around me and opened their jaws. The density in the air was suffocating as a red light appeared in their mouths.

I barely got away as they fired their ceros at each other and killed themselves. The garanta in the sky was growing in size and if I didn't do anything about it more would come out. I decided that I would save Shirobarakaze for closing the garanta. So I quickly zoomed out of my body . . .

***

Toshiro filed out with the other captains when the Sou-taicho dimissed them. Hinamoto was such a showoff sometimes. When she had left, she threw away her haori and it landed on Ukitake-taicho with the added plus that she left black scorch marks on the polished floor of the meeting hall. As soon as his foot stepped out the door a tremendous amount of reiatsu coursed throughout his frame and almost sent him back into the meeting hall again.

_"That must be some battle between Hinamoto-taicho and the hollows, boy."_

Hitsuguya nodded and continued to walk back to his barracks. The reiatsu didn't decline but went up more. He could feel Hinamoto's reiatsu spike up with frustration and fury and the hollows would roar in defiance over the distance. Then a monstrous wave of reiatsu spread throughout the Seireitei, this time snapping a tree in half that was just above him.

_"I think this has gone long enough. Shouldn't you be going over there to help her?"_

He sighed and took off, careful to avoid towering structures that could fall on him. When he arrived he could see Kurohime glowing with a poisonous red and her eyes turning to a molten silverish-redish color. The menos that had been preparing to fire a cero at her glowed with same violent reiatsu. They contorted with both pain and defiance. She turned around to the hollows and him and opened her her mouth. Then her purple lips whispered the word "kill."

The hollows' movement at first hesitated, then with blinding speed a menos fired a cero at another menos and instantly killed itself. It rained blood and and various body parts of hollows, but Toshiro silently watched in disbelief as hollows killed each other. When he looked over at Kurohime, he could see an wicked smile spread across her blood-splattered face.

The smile didn't falter as a hollow ran its spiked tail through Kurohime's right shoulder and her blood dripped slowly off her arm. The she slowly drew her zanpaktou and threw it high in the air. "Sashi Muko, Shirobarakaze." The katana shattered into pieces and rained its shards around her. A blast of wind then surrounded her like a mini tornado. "Izayoi Gekko." Her wounded arm was lifted up and it was directed at the huge garanta looming over them both, then a concentrated blast of wind hit the hole with full force. He watched with silent awe as the garanta closed with a loud boom, thus severing the menos that were trying to get through.

When Shirobarakaze returned to its sealed form, her eyes reverted back to their oringinal color. Then those wine colored orbs widened at the sight of him. "Toshiro."

***

I returned to my body as soon as the garanta was closed. A wave of pain coursed through my body, but I didn't care. My whole body stiffened and I was suddenly disgusted with myself and my lack of control. I could see it in his eyes too. The familiar look of shock and disgust was in there and I couldn't blame him. "Toshiro," I whispered. But he turned around and shunpoed away.

I realized that I had lost the only friend that had cared about me. My old memories drowned me in my thoughts and I wanted to drown for real. The only chance for me to fit in with other people was gone. I quietly shunpoed back to Squad 4 barracks to have my right arm bandaged and to check on Soi Fon.

It was a painful process because Kotesu-fukutaicho poured half a bottle of iodine onto my arm, but all I could think about was the look on Toshiro's face as he departed. Then I followed a nurse to a room at the end of the hall. I went in and sat down in a chair near Soi Fon's bed. She looked so peaceful and I suddenly had an urge to go to sleep.

I walked back to Squad 2. "Hinamoto-taicho, you came back," said a guardsman. "Of course she'd come back, you idiot. She's a captain" said another. I just gave them a small smile and ask them if anyone was looking for me, tell them to come back later. They nodded and I went back into my room to take a shower, then I went to sleep.

***

Toshiro was still in disbelief when he was back in his office doing paperwork. He was torn between his conflicting emotions. The one that accepted Hinamoto as a comrade and the one that branded her as a blood-thirsty monster. Then his mind pulled him back to the memory of the happy Kurohime giving him a carefree laugh and the one of the merciless demon that had smiled even when blood was being spilled.

_"Master, why don't you visit her to see if she is okay?"_

Toshiro thought about this and was about to back down from the suggestion. After a while, he gave in and shunpoed to Squad 2. The guards stationed in front of the barrack doors blocked his entrance. "Hitsuguya-taicho of squad 10 here to see Hinamoto-taicho!" One guard looked uneasily at the other one and both shook their heads. "Hinamoto-taicho is currently treating her wound and would like no contact until she is well."

_"Looks like she doesn't want to see you right now."_

Hitsuguya frowned and proceeded to walk through the doors. The spears let up hesitantly and when he was further away from the door he could hear frantic whispers of "we can't refuse a captain" and "Hinamoto-taicho will not be happy about this".

He walked to her office and found no one there. After wandering to other places that Hinamoto-san was likely to be, he went directly to her room. He tried to approach her with small talk. "Hime-san, are you okay? Matsumoto was pretty worried." No answer. He tried again only to end with the same results. A vein threaten to pop, but he suppressed his growing annoyance and just barged in.

There he found a sleeping Kurohime lying in a futon on the floor. When he came closer he saw her robe torn on her right shoulder, exposing her bandaged arm. He couldn't help but gawk at the figure next to him. Her hair was splattered across her pillow and her mouth was opened slightly. He turned to leave, but one word stopped him. "Mother."

Toshiro whirled around to find Hinamoto-san crouched into a ball and trembling slightly. "Hey, Hime-san. Wake up." He shook her but her small frame shook harder. "Onee-chan! Mother! Maybel! Who would do this to you?" Tears threatened to spill from her eyes and she was pulling herself tighter and tighter together. "I swear that I would kill the ones who did this! I would kill their families before their eyes before killing them! Then they'll see what they put me through."

She turned on her wounded shoulder which caused the cut to reopen and spill blood over her pristine white covers. Toshiro tried to pick her up and lay her on the floor but she was racked with sobs. "Miss Saihete, no. Stop you fiends! It's me you wanted, right? Put her down and take me instead. Don't hurt her, please don't hurt her."She clung to Toshiro's haori and the current of tears was spilling onto his jacket. "Help me, mother! I'm scared. I'm sorry I was not as brave as you. I just don't want to see anymore blood spill." Then she buried herself in his chest and sobbed harder.

"No more blood, please. I can't take this any longer." Her eyes snapped open, but they were never the purple-red eyes he expected, but the silverish-red. It was disturbing to see tears flowing from those eyes. They seem to rip apart his soul to reveal the most horrible moments a person has. "Kurohime-chan, wake up." Suddenly a force pulled Tosiro from his world to another. He could see a woman with a katana through her chest that had piereced through the bloodied wall, a girl and another woman next to him that stared at the world with dull, lifeless eyes, an angry mob brandishing weapons with blood dripping off of them. An entire town reduced to rubble with a single girl standing above the corpses of the townspeople. He felt all the emotions that were once someone else's pour through him. All the sorrow, disgust, and pent up rage felt like it was his and his alone.

_"Master, feed you reiatsu into hers and wait."_

He ws still shaken, but he let his reiatsu pour into her and the silver dissolved to reveal dull wine colored eyes that were replaced by sharp all-knowing look that he was so familiar with. "Hitsuguya-taicho, what are you doing here?" He looked at her. She was biting her lip and there were tear streaks that ruined her pale but reddening face. That multiplied when she realized she was still holding his collar, exposing most of his muscular chest. "I'm sorry, Hitsuguya-taicho. I can assure you that nothing was going through my mind if I did that intenti-"

She cut off and bowed her head to him. Toshiro stood up and straightened his robe. She tried to stand up also but collasped at the pain that seemed to torture her with every second. "I better go to Unohana-taicho and change my bandages. Excu-" Toshiro knelt down next to her and reached into his robes. He pulled out a roll of bandages. "Hitsuguya-taicho, you don't need to go through all that trouble, please." But he didn't listen and started to unravel her bandages. She stopped spluttering and just sat through it.

"Why did you come back, Taicho. Aren't you frightened at all?" Toshiro looked at her. She had her head facing the ground although he could see traces of red on her face. "You saw everything, didn't you? The power that brands me as a monster." Her head hung even closer to the ground like she was begging for forgivness. She winced and Toshiro replaced using his hand to only his fingertips. She looked up and he smiled at her which caused her to blush and return it. "By the way, you should stop using your right hand for everything, especially for hitting hollows."

***

After my little rant, I sat there while Toshiro finshed up. His hands were cool and warm at the same time which was a puzzle to me since other people said my skin was ice cold. When he was finished, he tossed the used bandages in the waste basket. "Now, shall we go get some dinner, Hinamoto-taicho." I froze and cautiously said "Where . . .?" "I don't know, where would you like to go, Hime-san?" I got up and walked out the door. "Follow me."

We stopped at a restruant and walked in. Being the person I was, I got a table in the back because my experience in the Omeitskidos had rendered me as paranoid. A waitress walked to our table and asked what we wanted. I said a bowl of miso noodles while Toshiro ordered red bean. I was through my sixth bowl when Toshiro said "I have no idea how you could eat that much and not get fat." I stopped in mid-slurp. "For your information, I happen to have a slim frame. My guess about you is that since you're still on your first bowl is that you're on a diet, are you fatty?" He stopped poking at his half eaten bowl of noodles and gave me a huge smirk. " You should be on a diet. I don't know if that "slim frame" would hold forever."

"Hahahaha, very clever, mister I'm-on-a-diet-and-won't-admit-it. You felt like a bag of bicks wrapped in skin when I-" Toshiro was paying full attention to me now. "When I what, Hime-san?" I quickly buried my face in my bowl as a hope of distracting him, but the kid was on something. "I get it now, Hime-san. Did you like what you felt?"

Shirobara was gasping for air and probaly on the verge of passing out. I hated that he got me, but a quick glimpse of yesterday flashed in my mind and I flashed a triumphant grin. "What about yesterday, Hitsuguya-taicho? You seemed to have enjoyed the view that caught you eye when I fell . . . if you know what I'm talking about."

Shirobara was deperately trying not to laugh but it came out as snorts and Toshiro's face was bright enough to be counted as a christmas light. "That was yesterday . . . never mind." If Shirobara didn't stop laughing now, she'd be in a loony house. "Ahhh, you did like it, you perv." I was trying to keep on a straight face and so did Toshiro. I was on the point of hysterical laughter when I saw a small trickle of blood run down his nose. He turned around and wiped his face. "Check, please."

I paid for my bowls even though Toshiro volunteered that he would. It was night already and there were only drunks on the road. One drunk that turned out to be Matsumoto came up to me and said, "Taicho *hic* I-I didn't know you were going out with Hime-taicho. Good f-for you." Then she turned to and whispered "You picked a *hic* good one. Be nice to him." Then she passed out on the road and we stepped over her even though I wanted to pick her up and take her to Squad 4.

It was awkward during the walk back, so Toshiro used it chance to tease me. "Your face was redder then mine back at the restraunt. Are you sure that you didn't like it because it seems your zapaktou spoke with mine. She didn't stop laughing one bit, though. She also shared with me and Hyorinmaru your exact thoughts when your little hug dawned on you. Oh well, fatty."

I reminded myself to kill Shirobara. After he walked me back to my squad he said goodnight. But I noticed the stupid triumphant smirk he wore on his stupid face.

* * *

Reviews. I was real stressed so if any errors then tell me


	11. Before the Dawn

The day started out as normal, except that I'd figured out that my haori had been absentmindedly tossed aside when I darted from the meeting hall. It had taken me hours to find out which captain to go to without asking Toshiro Hitsuguya for help and it was such a relief that it was Ukitake-taicho and not any other captain.

Ukitake-taicho was happy to return it, but before I left, his third seats had dumped a pile of sweets on me. When I took a closer look, all of them had cards that said "To Shiro-chan. I grimaced when they ask me to deliever it to Squad 10 since their captain was to sick to go anywhere that day.

I didn't go anywhere near Toshiro's office. Instead, I asked a lower ranked officer to point me to his room. In truth, everything in there was so neat and tucked away. Even my room wasn't this neat and I'm in the Omeitskidos. So I had an idea to mess it up my way. I spread out his futon on the floor and dumped the candy on his bed, then I took a brush and a piece of paper drew a kid-like picture of him sucking a lolly.

_"Show some class, Hime-san. You're showing this to a captain, so do it the right way."_

"You are absolutely right, Shirobara," I said. Then I drew a top hat, mustache, and a cigar sticking out of the opposite direction of his lolly.

_"That's class right there."_

However, I wasn't paying attention to the shadow on the other side of the door as he opened the door. So I ditched the painting and darted for the nearest window or exit. I really hope I didn't leave anything that would point everything at me.

***

Toshiro was tired by the time he finshed his paperwork, so he decided to get a couple of hours of sleep. Sadly, he found his futon covered in sweets. He was surprised that someone had broken into his room, but angry that they had defiled his room. A piece of paper was left lying on top of the pile and he picked it up. The detail was stunning, but all he noticed was him in a ridiculous outfit eating a lollipop. Hitsuguya probed for any sign of a reiatsu in his room but failed. Suddenly, he detected a scent in the air. Roses, he thought.

He stormed through Squad 2 barracks, scattering soul reapers everywhere. Hitsuguya even burst through the office without requesting entrance. "Oh hello, Hitsuguya-taicho. How are you doing toda-" He slammed his hands on her desk which pulled her out of which dimension she was in. "May I ask what were you doing in my chambers, Hinamoto-taicho?"

She wasn't looking him but rather the picture of him found in his room. "Hisuguya-taicho, why are you carrying that? Did you draw it?" If she was lying then she hide it well. Then a musical laugh escaped her. "Hime-san?" She was now laughing harder and failing to contain it. "I'm so sorry, Hitsuguya-taicho. But I can prove that I did not do anything . . ."

"Show me your hands." Kurohime stopped laughing and gave him a puzzling look. "Show me your hands now, Hinamoto-chan." Toshiro said this with a chilling tone which caused her to extend her hands out to him. Sure enough, they were covered with ink stains. He made an expression that was a cross between a frown and a smirk. "Hehehehe . . . I must be going right now, I can hear my tea kettle whistling. We'll do this another time."

Hitsuguya lashed out and snatched her wrist and pulled her to her desk. Her eyes widened as his face nearly collided with hers. "What did you hope to accomplish by defiling my room?" He leaned closer until he could feel Kurohime's ragged breathing on his neck. "Uhhh . . . I absolutely have no idea what I was doing, so, yeah." He snaked his arms around her petite waist and whispered into her ear. "Make sure you don't do it again or I'll make sure your punishment will be equally uncomfortable."

Her face flared up a couple of shades and she untangled herself from his hold and exited out the door. But when he walked outside, he couldn't find her anywhere. It was in the forest in the farther quardrents of Squad 2 did he find her. She was muttering incoherent words to herself and she was rocking back in forth in a distressed manner. "Stay away from me or you'll regret it, Toshiro Hitsuguya!" He ignored this and went up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Please go away. I don't want you to end up like them."

She was muttering more now and the rocking did not cease. "If you value your life, then I suggest you stay away from me. I do not want you ending up like the people I had cared about." Toshiro noticed how she emphazied on the people. "I must end this before I lose control. I must not hurt anyone here." She wasn't crying but she was tearing up. But she didn't complain when he picked her up in his arms.

***

That encounter with Toshiro had opened my eyes. I had to stop gallavanting before someone got hurt because that was how my family was killed in the first place. I felt so tired that I started to nod off so I decided to close my eyes for a while so I had more energy to think later on. My last coherent thought was how I could crush myself before I could do any harm to anyone.

I woke up in my own room (?) and Toshiro was sitting at the desk buried in his paper work. Then it hit me like a fist in the face that this was his room. I was quite prepare to escape when a deep voice spoke. "Are you okay, Hime-san? I ignored this comment and walked toward the door, eager to escape into the outer world. He stood up at this immediately and was about to pull me back in.

"Do you really think that this personality that I was born with." He looked at me with stunned eyes and said "What do you mean?" I narrowed my eyes and said "All that I've said was a façade. Every laugh, joke, and word that you is false. But the encounter this morning has opened my eyes and I must acting like my former self. Thank you, Hitsuguya-taicho."

I left without a word, cursing myself for my weakness, but deep inside I really wanted that inner child to sprout so she could have a second chance. The shocked image of Hitsuguya Toshiro was burned into my mind and I wish I could discard it. What were in those emerald eyes? Betrayal, pain, sorrow? I visited Squad 4 and Unohana-taicho said that Soi Fon had already left her barracks this morning and had been filling in for me since then.

She had been filling in for me and was in the world of the living on patrol. I resorted to destroying the practice dummies that were supposedly used to train new recruits. Suddenly, a new, moving opponent had countered my next punch. He had wavy, brown hair and brown eyes that were covered with plastic framed glasses. He also had the Squad 5 insignia. This was the Squad 5 fukutaicho, Sosuke Aizen. "Pardon me, Hinamoto-taicho. I was just here to ask you about Yoruichi Shihoin. I've heard many things from Urahara-taicho. But if it is too painful then please don't answer." My only answer to his question was get out.

Soi Fon came back a couple of hours later and I told her get some rest. I had only said this because I wanted to sort some things out about myself. Just then, a hell butterfly flew through my window. It landed on my finger and I repeated its message in a monotone voice. "In 2 days, we will welcoming a new captain among the ranks of the Gotei 13. The captain that will be replacing Hirako Shinji will be Sosuke Aizen. Please report to the Captain's hall in the 2 days. That is all."

Sosuke Aizen, huh? I've heard of him before. He was Shinji Hirako's fukutaicho and a good fighter, but something about his aura made me distrust him almost immediately. The waves of ambition and ruthlessness had clashed with my own aura so I made sure I'd be wary of him. Shirobara had remained silent since I had told off Toshiro.

***

In his office, the Taicho of Jubantai sat at his desk with nothing to do since he finished his paperwork. He had just received the message that Squad 5 would be welcoming a new captain. He ran his hand through his hair and thought about Kurohime. Her intoxicating features, her strength and mercilessness in combat, and what she had said to him before she left. A chilling wind blew through the open window and Toshiro was about to close the window when the window had disapeared. He had been taken to a beautiful grove of flowers, roses to specific. His arm reached forward and a thorn cut his index finger.

Hitsuguya was about to curse when the cut healed at an alarming rate. A gentle laugh reached his ears but it wasn't like anything he heard. "Hitsuguya Toshiro, do you know why I had called you here?" He turned around and was confronted by a woman. She had long, pale rose colored hair that was done in an elaborate hairstyle and she wore a blood red kimono and a obsidian and silver head piece. But what struck him the most were her eyes. Just like Hinamoto's they were forever changing but they held their stories.

"You're Shirobarakaze, Hinamoto-chan's zanpaktou," he breathed. "Yes, I already know that fact. I had high hopes that you would help my mistress out of her masochist atomoshpere. Sadly it didn't work. Her past is just too bitter." She frowned slightly and a breeze blew past them with a loud whoosh. "I've seen your mind and how your guard weakens at the mere sight her. She is like a siren that calls to you isn't she?"

Toshiro reddened slightly at this, but he was still taking in everything. The mysterious beauty that had reflected Kurohime. This was her inner world. "Can you tell me about Hinamoto-chan, then?" He honestly wanted to know everything about her, but the magnitude of respect for her privacy is preventing him to do so. "She wasn't always like that. I was still lying dormant in her heart, but I saw everything. The charming, young flower she was had wilted into an ugly weed when those despicable people had tormented her."

A picture of young girl flashed through Toshiro's mind and Shirobarakaze continued. "A sadastic side of her was born out of her lust for vengence, for all the sadness and sorrow she has endured and it has surfaced again. In fact you just saw her yesterday. That is not her. A girl as delicate as her had grown up among monsters like the townspeople of Rukongai and she still took her punishment with grace fitting for a princess and she still stands strong. What do you think about that?"

More picture flew through his head and he realized these were Shirobarakaze's memories. A girl lying on the ground with a bloody stake through her chest, struggling to breathe. Another of the same girl plucking petals of flowers and through them into a stream. "I had no idea that she feels like this. I've only seen her smile," said Toshiro.

"She was lying, then. She wants her old life back, not the one that is soaked in blood. She had been through so much. To lose two families that she had obviously cared about to the idiotic people just because her reiatsu was a little abnormal. Kurohime even tried to kill herself once by hanging, but she couldn't bring herself to do so because the woman known as Miss Saihete had saved her by taking her place as a distraction and Kurohime was powerless to do anything as the sword impaled itself in the woman's body. To kill herself would insult Saihete's memory, so she relives that moment every day."

Hitsuguya was still processing the information when Shirobarakaze snapped her fingers and he transported back to his office, his hand reaching for the open window. When he turned around back to his desk, he found a blood red rose an his desk and message written in the same color that said "Help her."

***

Since there was nothing to do and Shirobarakaze blocked me from entering my inner world, I sat under a cherry tree and was carving a flute from one of its branches. When it was done, I played a song I had made up. It was a sad melody, but it sounded so captivating that even its creator fell under its spell. I had a sudden urge to dance, but I suppressed it and turned the song into a more complicated melody. The notes reached higher and higher and I felt like I was pouring out my soul into the flow of the rythme.

When I reached the climax, it was like someone had ripped my essence out and fed it to the flute. The last note came out and a deep voice said out of no where "What a beautiful song, Hime-san."

* * *

**I've always wanted to do this so now would be a good time to do so.**

**Omake theater #1**

**Flames:What a sucky cliff hanger, if you would call it that.**

**Kurohime:I thought you said you wanted no one to come near me!**

**Hitsuguya:You've made me a potential stalker to Hinamoto-chan**

**Flames:Well sorry, but its my story and none of you can mess it up! so ha!**

**Hitsuguya:I hope that the next chapter is more action then all this drama cus' I'm a guy and I can't go all touchy-feely on people.**

**Kurohime:What a sexist!?!**

**Shirobarakaze:What's goin' on here?**

**Reviews!**


	12. Snow White Queen

**Just Want to remind you people that Kurohime is owned by me. Holy Moly, I sound like pimp o_O **

* * *

I spun around, my hand rested on my katana. What a relief it was when I saw it was only Sosuke Aizen. "Pardon me for intruding on your privacy, Hinamoto-taicho. But I have some papers that must be delivered to Soi Fon-fukutaicho. Do you know where she is?"

"Just give them to me and I'll hand to her later. So if you'll excuse me, I'll get back to what I was doing, Aizen-fukutaicho." He handed me the stack of papers and bowed. Then he exited my sanctuary and at what good haste too. I would have ripped him to shreds if he had stayed any longer.

_"Why be so tempearmental, Hime-san. You're a captain, you could have just told him to get out," said Shirobarakaze_

"And risk my flute. I do not approve of that idea."

_"I've just returned from a conference with one of your colleagues and you don't bother giving me a proper greeting. How rude, Hime-san."_

"You what!? Who did you decide to have a "conference" with, Shirobara?"

_"Which captain do you know best? And besides I have a very good reason to talk to him."_

I dawned on me who she talked to, but right now that little detail was minor compared to now that I was being suffocated by a certain fukutaicho. "Hime-chan! What are you doing here? Ohh look you made a flute! Can you play me, please!" I could feel my ribs bending and I was running out of air. "J-just let m-me go first, M-matsumoto-fuk-kutaicho. The death grip around me weakened and I pulled myself out before it restrained me again.

My flute was shoved to my mouth and I almost took a bite out of it. I looked up at the busty blond and she gave an encouraging smile. With a sigh, I raised it to my lips and played a tune. It was meant to be light-hearted, but to me it sounded as a lonely sound. Hollow and desperate, just like me. And just like before, I blanked out on everything and allowed me to sucked into the melody.

A swirl of colorful pictures surrounded me and I was once back in Rukongai with my family. A girl with golden hair ran up to me with flowers and a wreath. Following her was a furry gray cat with flowers woven into its fur. I smiled and another note was ripped through me. Another picture of a tall, elegant woman hand me a platter of sushi. The defining note echoed through my head.

The world was nothing to me now, all it was a collection of memories and I was reliving every moment as the notes flew into the sky. The climax wasn't like the last one. This one was more complicated and soulful. The sound of mourning and laughter was mixed into it and a shrill note rang throughout the Seireitei.

***

Toshiro had finally found Matsumoto and Kurohime in a secluded garden somewhere in Squad 2 barracks. The sound of a lone flute had reached his ears and it was deafening. Matsumoto was standing still in front of the girl and he could see a look of hurt on the younger one's face.

He could see Kurohime's finger flit all over the flute as she continued playing. A sudden image of Kurohime's Shirobarakaze appeared in his head as she said "Stop her, now." But how could he when he anchored down to the very ground he was standing. The sound grew faster and higher to the point where it might shatter glass. A shrill pitch sang its story to the sky and it ended.

Kurohime's eyes fluttered open and she widened her eyes at the sight at him then narrowed them to the point where they look like angry, red slits. Then she shunpoed away to somwhere else. Matsumoto's hand was stretched out towards the girl, but it was too late. She was gone. His busty fukutaicho turned around and crashed into him.

He was still seeing stars when his fukutaicho had picked him up. "Taicho, what are you doing here? Were you going to see Hime-taicho?" He brushed away the hand that was still on his shoulder and walked away. "Taicho, what is going on with you and Kurohime-chan?" He continued to walk and said "Shouldn't you be at the office, finishing paperwork, Matsumoto?" She disappeared before he could say another word.

She wasn't at her office, which was pretty obvious and her room was probably deserted. When he was near the Squad 2 hot springs, he could see someone's figure behind the screen. He was blushing furiously since he knew it was female, but he was pretty sure it was Hinamoto. So he waited until she came out.

Sure enough it was her (in a towel, thank god). "Hitsuguya-taicho, might I say that it is rude to intrude on a woman's privacy? Surely someone must have taught you that." He turned away from her direction with a mix of embarrassment and shame.

_"I have no idea how you can stay calm after witnessing that," said Hyorinmaru._

She crossed her arms across her chest and smirked. Toshiro could feel a nosebleed threatening to spill as he was trying to avoid staring at her. She spun around and walked towards her room. "Follow me, Hitsuguya-taicho"

When they got there, a shocking sight had beheld them. Kurohime's screen doors were slashed to shreds and inside was splattered with . . . blood (?), and her uniform and futon was slash to pieces, except her haori. She went into the room and he heard "Oh dear, I've feared this since I got here." She gave a dry laugh and turned around to face him. She put on the haori to cover herself, even though there was no obi to hold the thing together and paraded down the barracks.

This attracted many soul reapers, especially the men. In the center of the crowd was her third seat. She walked up to the man and gave him a round-house kick in the stomach which sent him flying into a tree, then she casually walked up to him and smiled. "You naïve fool. If you thought you can get away with this, you've failed. Your reiatsu is currently polluting my room. If I were you, I'd stay away from me for a couple of days, more or less." She then pointed at two soul reapers standing close by. "Take him to Squad 4. I have no energy left to deal with idiots like him." They nodded and started to drag him to Unohana-taicho. She sighed and shrugged. "I hate having to hurt people."

***

With nothing to wear but my haori and a towel, I felt like a freakshow. Whenever I walked past someone, they would ogle me until I noticed they were doing so. Right now, I had a problem on my hands. Where would I sleep tonight? I debated this with myself and quickly ruled out the possibility of the Omeitskido barracks because it was too crowded. People thought the Omeitskidos had everything, but they didn't. I usually have to share a futon with two or three people and I was very uncomfortable doing that and as commander, my personal squad had to spend the night watching me sleep instead of sleeping themselves and I did not want this for them.

Soi Fon was also out because I don't want to spend the night at my fukutaicho's listening to her curse at Yoruichi-sama's name while I slept. I toyed with the idea of the office until I felt a slight tap on my shoulder. I had forgotten Hitsuguya-taicho was still there and there he was like a torch with white hair. "You can stay my barracks if you want, Hinamoto-taicho." Shirobara gave a small laugh until my sudden change in attitude shut her up.

I thought he meant at a different room at his barracks, but I was sadly mistaken. He told me that all the rooms were filled up at the moment and the only place I could stay at was his room. Shirobarakaze laughed out loud at this and this time she couldn't stop. I couldn't blame her because I reddened slightly at this.

My mind said HELL NO, but somehow the answer that came out was yes, I'll be delighted to. Later I found out it was Shirobara's doing and I had to go through with it or the thought she implanted in the captain's mind would come into fruitation meaning disatrous. So here I was, lying in a spare futon next Hitsuguya-taicho's, trying to predict the outcome of tonight while he took a shower. My sleeping garments were short, meaning it reached a little above my knees and the whole room stank of ink, and those were only two of the many complaints I had. I didn't hear Toshiro get out of the shower, neither did I see I see him loom over me with a cup of tea in his hand. I was irked but that wore away when I saw what he was wearing. WHICH WAS NOTHING except for his hakama pants.

_"Oh my, Hime-san. I can get use to seeing that," teased Shirobara._

I couldn't help but blush. So the rumors were true. His fangirls had always gushed over how he looked and I couldn't blame them. He was thin, but not too thin and he had muscular arms and a supposedly firm chest. I was speechless and my mouth was probably hanging open like a moron. "Why are you staring at my chest, Hime-san?" My mind cracked at the pressure of coming up with a retort and I cursed myself for not having to choose Soi Fon. My retort was this, "Why, I have no idea what you are talking about, Hitsuguya-taicho. But if anyone was looking at your chest, it is because you are forcing it upon the world." Inside, I was frantically trying to contact Shirobarakaze, but she wasn't there.

***

Toshiro was surprised at Kurohime's reaction. He had thought she was more in control of herself and therefore would not act like one of his fangirls. He was mistaken because Kurohime was staring at him like an exotic animal, though her response was logical enough to pass as sane.

_"I have an idea that might get her to open up to that inner child. If you are willing to try . . ."_

This was definitely not his Hyroinmaru talking, so it was probably Shirobarakaze. "Maybe, depending how it sounds like to me."

_"It is very simple. Talk with her all night long. Who knows what you might find out . . ."_

Hitsuguya was going to deny what he had just heard, but he had to admit she had a very good point. Kurohime was resting on her futon and looked like she was bored out of her mind. He went over and laid on his futon with bothering to go under the covers like Hinamoto. He noticed how she cringed at this. He wished that his ceiling were stars so he would at least have something to talk to her about. In candlelight, she was absolutely stunning. Her eyes were half closed in a sleepy, romantic way, her flawless pale complexion that would have taken any other girl years to achieve, and a figure that would have even made his fukutaicho green with envy.

"The moon was beautiful tonight, don't you think so too, Toshiro?" He looked at her incredously because what he heard was so faint he thought it might have been the wind. "Uh . . . yeah." She smiled slightly at this and he focused on her lips. They were a luscious, dark purple color that complimented her eyes which made her a dark beauty. "I thought it would be so much more awkward talking to you because the whole sharing a room thing, but it rather fun sleeping in another room instead of my own. This is very immature of me isn't it?"

"I don't think so. I would be a horrible host if I said something like that. I've always wondered why you are so quiet, Hime-san." She paused and then said "I've never liked attention and all the attention I've got so far are from people who loathe me or for all the wrong reasons. Since you asked a question, I want to know how you can keep your hair sticking up all day without using any hair products."

_"What is this, boy? Random questions that help get rid of the awkwardness until you go to sleep? She is right next to you, do something," said Hyorinmaru._

Toshiro was on the verge of exploding on Hyorinmaru, but he kept it in for Hinamoto-chan's sake. She asked something about why his hair could defy gravity naturally and he honestly didn't know. Well maybe because he woke up and didn't comb his hair for years. "I have no clue how that could happen, Hime-san." She put her hand at the back of her head and crossed her legs.

When he tried to talk to her again, she didn't answer. So he peered over and saw she had fallen asleep. With a sigh, he blew the candle that was lying between them. Then he drifted to sleep next to Kurohime.

***

I woke early the next morning. Toshiro was still asleep, I couldn't help but look at him for a while. He is gorgoeus and he looked more childish when he was asleep because that cold expression he wears melts off when he is asleep (I meant adorable). I put on my haori and forgot that I stole one of his robes, but who cares. He has many and would not care if he was missing one, especially one that probably doesn't fit him anymore.

I quickly found out that you can't move as well in your sleeping garments then your uniform. So I used Shirobarakaze to cut a huge slit in the thin fabric. It was only mid-thigh and suddenly the whole squad stares at me like I've gone insane or something.

To complete the look, I found a pair of black boots that were thigh length and put them on. I needed shoes and I like to look stylish because it make me feel like I intimidate people. They were hard to walk in at first because of the heels, but then I got use to it and I can run in them. Shirobara was strapped into the white obi that held the robe together so I now had clothes that I could wear until I get another shihakushou.

Patrol was so much easier because now I could slam the sharp heel of my boots into a hollows mask and not get my uniform dirty. Once we got back, I decided to check on Toshiro to see if he woke up.

At first, he seemed to be surprised that I came back, then his mouth sort of dropped when he saw what I was wearing. Matsumoto-fukutaicho gushed at the new trend and announced that she was about to copy me. When Toshiro said no, she pouted and decided to add her own touch to my outfit. I almost fainted when she pulled my collar apart to reveal my cleavage.

I noticed Toshiro turned away when I adjust my robe back to what it was before Matsumoto tampered with it. I haven't had any breakfast and guessing from the grumble of Toshiro's stomach I guess he hadn't too. I offered to take Hitsuguya and Matsumoto to breakfast and Matsumoto had to drag Toshiro away from his paperwork literally so he could join us.

It was mostly brunch, but we didn't care. It was all delicious and I was happy that Toshiro stopped teasing about me being fat. Matsumoto was drinking sake and she was starting to slur. I didn't drink anything but jasmine tea, but you could see the anger coming off of Toshiro like waves, so I went outside to wait.

It was very loud, so I stood near a couple of trees until everything smoothed out. I found a black kitten near the hollow of the tree and I thought it wandered from its mother until I saw a silver cat lying in a puddle of red. This poor kitten, I thought, to lose one's mother so young and not even know it. It was mewing pitifully now, so it was hungry. I went up to a stand and asked for raw fish. The shopkeeper looked at me like I was rambling nonsense until he saw the little cat.

I waited back at the tree for Matsumoto and Toshiro while I watched the kitten eat. I wanted to take it back to my barracks, but the thought of yesterday made me uneasy. If someone can get into my room that easily, then this kitten might be killed in the cross-fire.

Something (or someone) fell on me. It was Matsumoto because I could smell all the sake that she drank from this distance. "What an adorable creature, Hime-san." So Toshiro was here too. I scooped up the kitten in my arms and started to run back to the Seireitei. Matsumoto and Toshiro were trying to catch up to me, but I didn't give a crap. The kitten purred loudly in my arms and I gave it a small laugh.

Hitsuguya finally caught up but he had to leave Matsumoto. He looked angry and amused at the same time that it contorted his face into something I can't describe. The kitten hissed when he came close and I picked it up and out it on his head. The kitten mewed and licked its paw. "Kurohime-chan, would you please take it off of me please."

I left it on his head anyways and he had to walk around with Shadow on his head all day or until I decide it was time to take her off. I spent all day at Hitsuguya's office helping him do paperwork. Shadow was sleeping on the couch and since Toshiro was afraid that she might rip the couch to shreds, she was sleeping on my haori on my lap. We were almost done when Matsumoto burst through door. "Taicho, what are you doing here in the office with Hime-chan?" I ignored this while Toshiro scolded his fukutaicho for being lazy. She ran out of the office with a small wave and a wink that was meant for me and Shadow slept through all that without even turning.

***

It was hours since Matsumoto showed up and he was almost done. Kurohime was sitting on the couch with her cat, finishing most of what he had. He wondered why she held on to the cat when she could just gave it Unohana-taicho. He was done with his paperwork so he went over to Hinamoto to help her. He almost sat on the sleeping cat and it awoke with hiss. She grinned deviously when the cat almost clawed his bottom off.

She picked up the cat and put it on her shoulder. Then they worked in silence until all of the papers were done. After they exited the office, she turned around and smirked. "Looks like I'm taller than you for the moment, Hitsuguya-taicho." He grimaced when he saw how high were her heels and thought what would happen if he snapped the heels off. She whirled around and walked away towards his room, her heels making clicking sound everytime they made contact with the floor.

Obviously, Kurohime gave some thought to where the cat will sleep because she put it in a cherry tree outside with her haori for warmth. Inside, she waited until Toshiro got out of the shower before she could take hers. The scent of flowers wafted through the room, smothering any scent of ink that previously occupied the place after she came out.

But she was careless. Kurohime slipped on her own garments that she tossed aside near the doorway to the bathroom. Toshiro was lying on his futon in his own thoughts when she fell on him. He almost yelled in shock when he felt a jolt of pain on his torso, but he shut up when he saw it was Kurohime. She getting up when she stopped and realized what had happened.

She was wearing a towel and nothing else and he had nothing on except his hakama pants. Her hands were placed on either side of him and to top it off she was on top of him. He could hear Hyorinmaru in his head trying to stop laughing and his eyes eventually found their way to her chest. She got off him after that and crossed her hands over her chest. "I apologize, Hitsuguya-taicho. I should have been more careful, uhhh . . ."

She retreated to the bathroom to gather herself and Hyorinmaru was nagging him about the usual she went over to the closet and pulled out the other futon. Toshiro got up to help her, but she refused. She layed down on it and said "Well, aren't you going to sleep, Toshiro?" She still had her arms crossed across her chest and she was wearing the same robe that she wore last night and today.

To lighten the mood, he decided to tease her. "So Hime-san, what made you decide to trip like that?" Her reaction was exactly what he hoped for. "I did not choose to trip, baka. It was merely an accident, you pervert." Toshiro was not happy about the pervert comment. "Like you said, you forced it upon the world, Hime-san. You can't blame me, I'm still a man."

She turned red and blurted "Man! What man? All I see is a boy with social problems and a tendency to look at a woman's chest." He flared up and retorted back,"You a woman? I don't think so. You are just a girl who grew too early." She cursed and leaned over. "Watch it, boy. I can kill you in the most painful ways and you can do nothing about it. I can do something so drastic that it will leave you speechless." He was puzzled by what she meant. "Like what, Hime-san? Have the cat scratch me to death?"

She made her point by crushing Toshiro into her bosom. "I learned this from your fukutaicho. If she knew how lethal this technique was, then imagine what would happen if she used it intentionally." He was blushing because her shirt was open just a bit and he was running out of air. But before he was going to pass out, her grip loosened and she pushed him off of her. "You should really think before you say things like that to a woman. It can offend her very much."

Toshiro was still gasping for air when he saw how close he was to Kurohime. They were practically touching and her lips were from his and getting closer with each second. "Good night, Hitsuguya-taicho."

* * *

**Omake Theater**

**Hitsuguya: What the hell! You made her try to kill me!**

**Flames:Thats basically the point.**

**Hitsuguya:I meant I was going to die in the most humiliating way ever invented!**

**Flames:You know you liked it though. Its the first time Toshiro has ever been this close to woman thats not Matsumoto**

**Hitsuguya: Shut up! You're the one who made her this way and I have instincts like every one else and its Hitsuguya-taicho to you!**

**Flames:Ahhh, you did like it then. I wonder what would happen if I told Kurohime that you liked to see her in a towel**

**Kurohime:What did you say?**

**Hitsuguya and Flames:Nothing, just complimenting your hair.**

**Reviews! :3 **


	13. Not Myself Tonight

We woke up early the next morning to head down to the Captain's meeting hall. The Gotei 13 was about to welcome another captain into our midst and I already didn't trust him. Aizen was strong and well known, but there were reports of him concerning Urahara and Yoruichi'd disappearance and the people who made those accusations that connected him to that night disappeared a while later.

The Sou-Taicho was waiting for all the captains to arrive and we were the first ones. Once the doors closed, Yamamoto Sou-Taicho stood up and proclaimed that we would be welcoming a new captain and so and so. I wasn't paying attention to what he was saying because I heard this speech many times meaning once is enough.

Once we were dismissed I went back to my barracks and for once my subordinates seemed surprised to see me. Soi Fon was in the office doing paper work, her head shot straight up when she heard me coming. "Hinamoto-sama, we've haven't seen you for a while. You can move back to your barracks tonight. The damages to your chambers have been fixed and . . ." Soi Fon's stomach rumbled and I took it to be a time for her break.

"Come on, Soi Fon. Let's go get something to eat." She reluctantly got up from her seat, but eventually seemed at ease when walking with me. "Ma'am, where are we going?" I cocked my head to the side and smiled. "We're going to Squad 10. I need to go collect something first." Shadow was roaming somewhere in the Squad 10 gardens near Toshiro's room and we found her in a sunny patch, asleep.

My fukutaicho and my new pet seem to enjoy each other's company because Soi Fon was feeding her roasted fish and she didn't hiss at Soi Fon. I smiled at the scene, comparing it to yesterday when Toshiro almost sat on Shadow was hilarious. An angry reiatsu ripped throughout and we both sensed it. "Hollows, Soi Fon!" She nodded and we both left the restaurant, first leaving Shadow in a tall tree so she wouldn't get hurt.

I wanted to try a new move that I was working on. My haori was discarded and I let my reiatsu swirl around me like a kido barrier but it was also an attack for the offensive. It was a lot easier then the last times, seeing how the enemy only consisted of regular hollows and not huge hollows or menos. My robes were ruined, the shoulders and back were completely gone and I was completely tired from my first use of that move in combat.

When I got back, I found new sets of uniforms on my desk which was relief because I tire of wearing shoes that were a hazard on smooth ground. During the next couple of hours I was constantly nagging myself about something. When we were fighting the hollows, I swore I saw a man standing near the trees. I didn't get a good look at him, but if he was responsible for the attack, then he would recieve no mercy from me.

I miss having those boots even though I hated them. After that, I just went over to Squad 10 with my flute and Shadow to see if there was anything they had that could keep me from going insane. As usual, my greeting was a back-breaking hug from Matasumoto-fukutaicho and a grunt of acknowledgement from Hitsuguya-taicho. Matsumoto-fukutaicho looked so miserable at her desk that I faked an issue to pull her out the office. "Hime-chan, where is the hollow you wanted to show me?"

I shook my head and said "Forget that, that was just an excuse I used to get you outside. Now would you like a cup of tea, Matsumoto-fukutaicho?" She frowned and said "You should stop being uptight and call me Rangiku-san instead, ok Hime-san." I nodded and she continued on "I'm glad you're not like taicho. Always snapping at people who don't call him by his title. Say, you're about his age aren't you?" I nodded again and she turned estastic about this. Then she shoved my flute under my nose and sipped her tea.

Toshiro was grumbling about Matsumoto when he heard a sound drift through his window. A flute, he thought, Which meant Hinamoto had lied to him and purposely pulled Matsumoto out of her duties. He went outside and a bizarre sight beheld him. In the center was Kurohime with a cat on her head and Matsumoto. Kurohime was playing a fast melody and Matsumoto was under her spell, she was dancing in tune to the song. It attracted many soul reapers who were mesmerized by their fukutaicho dancing and many of them were clapping to the beat and cheering. The flute suddenly went up a pitch and Matsumoto danced faster, Toshiro himself had an urge to join her.

When they finished, everyone cheered at the top of their lungs and shouted for another until they noticed him there. The crowd slowly scattered and Matsumoto shunpoed away before Toshiro could make her feel his wrath. Which left Toshiro and Kurohime together. She gave a dry laugh and prepared to leave when Toshiro grabbed her wrist and flute. "I would like to know why you dragged my fukutaicho away from her duties." She shrugged and replied, "I wouldn't call that "duties", Hitsuguya-taicho. Obviously, she would like to go outside once in a while unlike someone I know here." Her eyes narrowed to certain point and she walked away.

I had a lot on my mind right now and frankly I would not like to be disturbed. Un fortunately, Shirobara didn't understabd that concept.

_ "Still thinking, Hime-san?"_

I gave her a brief nod and continued with my trivial matters. But the most annoying thing was the man that had appeared at the site that the hollows were at. If I wasn't mistaken, the reiatsu I felt belonged to someone I knew but who?

*6 Years later*

It hadn't changed since I joined the Gotei 13 so many years ago. I was doing the same routine over again and over again. Get up, get dressed, wait for the afternoon patrol, eat and feed Shadow, wait for evening patrol, take a shower and go to sleep. If it weren't the frequent visits from Soi Fon, Matsumoto, and Toshiro, I swear I would have gone mad from the boredom. Shadow gave birth to kittens and I had to give her away to a family in Rukongai. Oh, how I wish I could pet her right now. As I entered the Captain's meeting hall, a tall man with glasses gave me a wink. Sosuke Aizen, he may not look like much, but he makes me break out in cold sweat just like his fukutaicho does. Lately, there were reports of dissapearances from the Omeitskidos and they return in the most horrible conditions.

After we were dismissed, I walked back to my division thinking what I could do about these attacks. The reports claimed that three men were always seen at the site afterward and the people who submited these reports were after killed in the same fashion.

Soi Fon suddenly appeared out of thin air and knelt. "We've found traces of the assailants' reiatsu, Ma'am." Then she turned around and I followed her to a building near the division barracks. There was a huge crater in the ground and in the center were two men I knew as my second divison jailers. They were covered with multiple lacerations and this time I noticed something different.

Previous victims were stabbed through the heart, but they had died of lacerations and they had fragments of hollow masks on their face. Soi Fon went up to one of them and tried to pull it off, but it only budged just a bit and a trickle of blood ran down the man's face. "Take them to Unohana-taicho immediately! Ask her if she can isolate the cause of death and then give them a proper burial."

I went back to my office to submit my report to Yamamoto-soutaicho. It was quick and after I just sat there, thinking. My men and the Soul Society were in danger and I was frustrated that I hadn't even found a trace the person yet. It happens every night and in the morning I'll have to investigate. What good is investigating if it leads to nothing. The attacks lst night were at Squad 2 barracks and the night before was at Squad 1 and the night before was at Squad 13. I was such an idiot.

I must to prepare before the next attack struck.

Toshiro was doing paperwork and as usual Matsumoto was passed out on the couch drunk. He wondered what had landed him with her. As he sipped his tea he thought about the recent attacks on the Seireitei. And Kurohime. The past six years with her had been eventful although he wasn't quite happy that Matsumoto had always been around to set him up with her. He had noticed lately she had rings around her eyes and she lost weight. The stress from this mission must be taking its toll on her.

He finished the papers in record time and exited the office. But before he could enter the room he felt a huge blast reiatsu in the distance. A hollow's and Aizen's.

My blade was dripping with red and standing over me was Sosuke Aizen. I naïve and stupid to charge at him and all around us was my personal squad. "Have you wondered how I've kept this a secret for so long, Hinamoto-taicho?" I spat blood at him and hissed, "You're a monster, Aizen. Is this what you did to Shinji Hirako?" The man next to Gin Ichimaru stepped forward, about to draw his zanpaktou, but Aizen stopped him. "Kaname, you shouldn't hurt a young lady. It's just rude."

I felt his hands cup my face and I slashed Shirobara at him. I missed and backflipped to a safe distance. "Sashi Muko, Shirobarakaze!" The blast of wind had left a huge cut on his face and he smiled as his blood dripped down on his haori. I streched out my left hand and a tornado of wind swirled around him. When I saw he was still smiling, I clenched the hand into a fist and the tornado closed in around him. It splattered blood on me, but I wanted to watch him die. The wind ceased and I saw he was still standing.

He was coughing up blood and there were severe lacereations across his chest, but the smile was still there. I shunpoed up to him and aimed a punch at his face, he dodged and I kicked his torso hard. The ground was painted red with our blood. Aizen's katana had just raked a bloody path through my back and I felt myself weakening by the moment. A sudden jolt of pain ran up my spine and I heard a blood-curdling in my head. Then my mouth forced itself to open and I saw a white blob snake its way to my face . . .

Hitsuguya and Matsumoto ran toward Squad 3 after Kurohime's reiatsu announced it presence in the battle. When they got there, they found the bodies of several Omeitskido members. They ran further in to find a bloody Aizen staggering and a small hollow fighting. The hollow turned around and the other side of its face was Kurohime's. The molten silver eyes had returned from its slumber and Toshiro even remembered what had happened six years ago when they had been awake.

Then she turned around and raise her blade high above her head. She was about to kill Aizen. She is the one behind all these attacks, he thought. The blade came crashing down but it never hit Aizen. Matsumoto had block it just in time. "Hinamoto-taicho, I ask that you withdraw your blade." She responded by swating Matsumoto aside and kicked Aizen in the face. Toshiro ran up to her and wrapped his arms around him as an attempt to restrain her.

She screeched and her reiatsu flared out, destroying her haori. He charged at her only to be stopped by an invisible force and her zanpaktou found its way into his stomach. Suddenly, her eyes returned to normal and she spat out blood. She collasped on the ground and picked her self up as more of the hollow mask enveloped her face. Her eyes widened as she saw him. Then Kurohime hit him on the back of his head and he saw nothing but black.

A couple of days later, he woke up to a familiar face. "Unohana-taicho," he said. She gave him a small smile and said "Kurohime Hinamoto escaped to the world of the living. The Soutaicho has asked me to deliever this message to you. He said that as soon as you woke up, you'll be joining your fukutaicho to the world of the living to search for her."

His mind reeled from what she said. They were searching for her and if they captured her, they were going to kill her. But she was a traitor, he saw it himself. She killed her subordinates and attacked two captain of the Gotei 13. She was a traitor and that's all he saw in her now.

"I'm going now, Unohana-taicho.


	14. Break the Ice

Hi Peoples!

* * *

The next few days were torture for me. I was forced to hide in a dark alley in the world of the living while concealing my reiatsu. I bumped into a few soul reapers at some point and I knock them out and dump their bodies behind some building. My hollow has been approaching me with some "confrontations"

While I was having one of these "confrontations", two hooded figures approached me and I thought they were the Omeitskidos. I woke up days later with a metallic taste in my mouth. Crap, I was drugged, I thought. The room was dark but suprisingly warm and I heard voices outside the door.

"She's awake. What do we do? If we don't send her to them, her hollow will consume her and with the level of her reiatsu, we'll have a hard time fighting back."

"I want to, but what if she dies, Kisuke? She could be a great ally in the future."

My head only grasped onto one word. Kisuke. Which meant the other voice belonged to none other than Yoruichi Shihion. Where were they going to take me? I felt a wave of nausea and saw a tube strapped to my arm. Crap , I was being drugged again.

Matsumoto had just returned from the world of the living and her report was of no use to Toshiro. Over the past few days, they had searched for the traitor Kurohime Hinamoto but to no avail. She had knocked out or avoided all the search groups and easily decapitated all the survallience in the world of the living. Once in a while, they would get a clue to where she was going from blood puddles on the ground which meant she was still wounded.

Soi Fon was furiously searching for her commander and when she wasn't, she spent all her free time in her room. Aizen was still in no condition to be walking and his fukutaicho had not seen a thing. Matsumoto was still in denial that her "little" Hime-chan had deserted her post and turned to a renegade Soul Reaper. Toshiro on the other hand had accepted the truth and swore to his core being that he would hunt her down and bring her to justice.

That night, when he fell asleep he received a visit from none other than Shirobarakaze. "This will be the last time I'll see you. You've failed to prevent harm to my mistress and now she is suffering the consquences."

He exploded from these words. "What consquences? She brought this on herself when she attacked Aizen! I watched her do it myself and you helped her."

"I suppose you think that Kurohime has betrayed you and joined forces with hollows, right boy?! You think she would throw away all that she worked for to join her enemies?!" Shirobara's tone was sharp and angry but it turned into a soft whisper. "You don't know what she has experience in the past. I suppose when she wakes up, she'll still deny that she is part hollow now. You just don't understand, boy. You just seen images from her mind. Goodbye, Toshiro Hitsuguya." Shirobarakaze slowly dissolved into nothing as he tried to reach out to her.

Toshiro woke up in cold sweat. He dug his fingernails deep into his palm until it bled. Why does this have to be so damn hard, he thought.

I woke up with blinding headache and a stinging cheek. All around me were people that seemed vaguely familiar but blurry. My vision cleared and I saw Yoruichi Shihoin and Shinji Hirako. I guess that Shinji had slapped me and Yoruichi had gave me more mediacation then nescessary. "Hime-chan, I've haven't seen you in a while. My god, you've grown in past few years." Her friendly face quickly melted into a serious expression. "I've brought you here so you could gain control over you hollow. Hirako-san here will teach you and when you're done, I'll come and collect you."

That was not a very encouraging speech especially when I took it to be "collect what's left of you". They sealed me in a kido barrier and I thought I was down for the count. I was in a flower covered world, my inner world. Sitting in a cherry tree was a paler version of me. She sneered and drew her sword and lunged for my head so I replied with a parry of mine. "You've gotten soft, Hime-san! What happened between you and that boy?!"

I flew at her and aimed a kick at her head. I missed but I hit something and there was a cracking sound afterwards. I held my blade in my left hand, the blade facing outward while the other version of me held her by the regular soul reaper standards. I gave her a roundhouse kick to her head and she caught my leg and threw me back.

"You've really gotten weaker! I can't believe that a bitchy girly like you became the Commander of the Omeitskidos!" She slashed at my arm and her katan found its mark. My right arm was now incapitated. "You're scared of blood right?! Let's see if you like it when I spill as much of it on you!" I dodged her next attack and shunpoed behind her. My blade was poised at her neck, ready to strike. "I never knew that I could be so talkative. It just disgust me." She kicked at me and I had to shunpoed to a safe distance.

"Let's end this quickly, Hime-san. Sashi Muko, Shirobarakaze!" The blade flew into the air and dissolved into pieces. Then a black wind blew past me and nearly ripped me to pieces if I hadn't shunpoed away.

I released my Shirobarakaze and the familiar staff materialized into my hands. My opponent's was exactly the same, but it was white and gold while mine was black and silver. The wind stirred up the petals and one of them cut me. I looked over and the identical cut appeared on my hollow's cheek.

"IZAYOI GEKKO," we both cried.

The battle had ended with a huge explosion and I feared that I might have lost.

The next morning, Toshiro himself set out for the world of the living. This time he went with Kurohime's fukutaicho, Soi Fon. She didn't say a word as they past through the Dangai or when she went her separate way to search for her commander. He quickly sensed a strong reiatsu in the distance and was about to follow it when a man and a woman stood in the direction he was going to go. "Hitsuguya-taicho, is it? Nice to meet you. I'm Kisuke Urahara and this is my partner, Yoruichi, but you already know this I suppose."

Yoruichi turned her head over to his direction and he was slightly intimadated by the glare she was giving him. "You will give up your search for Kurohime Hinamoto. Go back to the Soul Society and tell them she is dead or else." He drew his Hyorinmaru to attack her, but Kisuke countered it with a cane. "I see you are going to learn the hard way." They withdrew and prepared to attack when a voice cried over the distance. "Hitsuguya-taicho! Are you okay?" Kisuke and Yoruichi turned to each other, nodded, and shunpoed off into the distance where the reiatsu was coming from. Soi Fon materialized into view and asked what was wrong. He didn't what to think right now.

I woke up to find I was alive.

_"That was such a relief, Hime-san. I thought you were dead."_

"Where are we," I asked. The room was big and cold.

_"I don't have a clue. Kisuke Urahara moved you here."_

How oblivious I've become since my arrival in the world of the living. The light was blinding and I thought I was seeing sky(?) Yoruichi sat next to me and when she saw I was awake, she grabbed my hand and yanked me upward. I fell back down when her grip suddenly disappeared. A black cat had then jumped on my head raked its claws across my forehead. It didn't hurt as much, but it was stinging. "Get up, Kurohime."

At first I thought it was Kisuke because the voice was male, but there was no one here but me and the cat. "Yoruichi-sama," I asked quietly. "Yes," came the reply from my head. Holy Smokes! The cat was Yoruichi!

The cat jumped off my head and suddenly there stood Yoruichi-sama again. Except she was was naked. My mind was reeling from what had just happened. Yoruichi-sama was a cat? "You seem very surprised, Hime-san. This is my second form. During stealth missions, I use this form to sneak around. Of course if I kill any men, they get a good last look at the world before they go down."

She gave me a hearty laugh and began to grab my collar. I back away from her in a flash. "What are you doing, Yoruichi?" "What do you think, Hime-chan. I gonna teach how to do this technique." Well, that explained things although I want to do this alone and not want to show my naked self to anyone unlike Yoruichi. She seemed so at home by parading her nude self around, while I was squeamish around any outfit that showed anything below my midriff.

Somehow she got what I wanted and explained how to do it. "You need to picture yourself as a cat. Picture yourself doing all the things a cat would do, but add a dose of reiatsu. Make it small possible." Then she smirked and walked up to the ladder and climbed up.

_"Picture yourself as a cat, Hime-san. Picture yourself as a furry feline, eating raw fish and licking yourself."_

"Not helping, Shirobara." I pictured myself jumping from tree to tree, sinking my razor sharp claws into anyone who comes my way, and drinking milk. I added a small amount of reiatsu as possible and suddenly I was trapped in a warm bundle of black. What the hell happened?

_"You're stuck in a pile of your own clothes, Hime-san. Look at you. You're adorable."_

I wanted to say shut up but all that came out was a loud mew. Right now there was one thought that occupied my mind. How do I turn back! "Oh my, Hime-chan. For the fastest person who fought with her hollow and won, you have no idea how to do the easiest things." I scrabbled out of my clothes to face a black cat. "You look good as a cat. But first picture yourself as a human and you're back. Give it a try." I didn't budge and she suddenly got what I wanted. "When you're done, get dressed and you can come up for some food."

I dressed as fast I could and jumped up the ladder. Awaiting me were Kisuke, Yoruichi, and a man that Yoruichi had told me was Tessai. "You should eat first, Hime-chan. We'll talk after," said Kisuke. I scarfed down my rice and curry as fast as I could wothout choking. Tessai leaned over to take away the dirty bowl. "Kurohime-chan, as you know you are a wanted fugative form the Soul Society. We are going to fake your death."

How was my first question but I was intrigued so I listened on. "We are going to take a gigai that looks like you and plant it somewhere where soul reapers would find it." Tessai took out a bundle wrapped in cloth and unwrapped it. It revealed an exact copy of me, flawless. But it was missing one thing, a reiastu, a life. "We are going to stand by the location waiting for the next patrol. We need you to let your reiatsu run loose enough to attract soul reapers. But before they come, we'll switch you and replace you with the gigai."

It was several hours before the sunset and we head off to our desired location.

Toshiro was not about to give up so easily, especially now that he knew Kisuke and Yoruichi was still alive. That night he, Matsumoto, and Soi Fon were going to try one last time. They hurried past the Dangai and once they arrived in the world of the living, they were pelted with an insane reiatsu. "Taicho, over there! Kurohime's reiatsu!"

Toshiro quickly shunpoed off into the distance, relieved that there were no trouble getting to his target. His fukutaicho and Soi Fon followed him or to be exact, Soi Fon had long past him even though he had set out first. Toshiro was shocked by what he saw. She was staggering and her body was convulsing. Her reiatsu was swirling around her like a fog. A huge blood puddle surrounded her and her eyes were switching back and forth from silver to red. Her body was cut in several places and her hakama was torn to provide bandages for her wounds.

She screeched and clutched her head, falling to her knees. Suddenly her body jerked upwards and a huge cut had appeared on her chest. She stopped jerking and went still, her body suddenly dropped back to the ground. Toshiro ran up to her and picked up her limp body. Her fatal wounds leaked blood that had dripped to his hands and haori.

Soi Fon ran up to him and glanced down to her former commander. "She's dead. Let us go back." Matsumoto came up to her and laid a hand on the girl's shoulder and shook her head. Matsumoto looked at Toshiro for moment and led Soi Fon back to the Senkeimon gate. But all Toshiro could think about Hinamoto's last moments. Most people in the seireitei would have said this was a fitting end for her, but to him it was insult to her memory. Even though she had betrayed the Soul Society, she was his friend.

Her dull, wine colored eyes stared up at him, frozen forever in a picture of pure terror, so he shut them and made it look like she was resting. He hugged her close to his chest, the scent of roses and blood mixed together permeated the air. It was only now that he had realized that how much she meant to him.

I limped back to Urhahra's hideout. Yoruichi was carrying me due to the fact that I had wasted to much of my reiatsu animating that doll. They were all nodding their head that I gave a good performance to convince the Soul Society that I was dead. Tommorow I was going back to Shinji Hirako and ask if he'd train me to control my hollow. My display earlier had made me worry that if I didn't control her, she'd eat me alive. But tonight I'll rest and try not to think of that look that occupied Toshiro's usual cold mask.

Matsumoto was worried about her taicho, especially when he didn't even tell her to finish paper work. Instead she accompanied him to the Squad 2 barracks. He was silent all the way there. "Matsumoto, I would like it if you go back to the barracks. I would like to go for a walk." The busty fukutaicho nodded, then vanished in a flash.

Toshiro walked to the captain's office. It was dark and eerily silent. The desk still held what she was still working on. A small portrait of Kurohime and himself. It was unfinished, but the details as always was accurate down to the littlest thing. He was touched that she had decided to paint his likeness and saw a little message written on the corner. "You look so funny when you smirk so I wanted to paint this for you!"

The picture was staged somewhere between a winter wonderland and a flowery meadow. The meadow was half finished, but in the middle was Toshiro smirking and Kurohime. Laughing and hugging him.

He searched for something else that was suppose to be on her desk, but it was gone. Her journal was gone.

_"She's gone, boy. I thought you hated her when she betrayed us. So why are you still sulking?"_

He didn't answer, but he slipped the frame into his robes and left the office in silence.

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Reviews! mwahahahahahahahahahaha!


	15. Swirling Light

Toshiro looked at the picture that now hung in the darkest corner in his room. Even when its suppose to be happy, it was bringing to a horrible memory back to life. He tried to block the horrifying details of Kurohime's death. All the blood that had dripped from her wounds ran down his cold hands and onto his haori.

When he looked closer at the picture, the picture of him was blushing a pale pink color just like he was right now. The little color on his cheeks blossomed when he thought about how Kurohime would react to this. But he would never again.

*93 years later*

A scream echoed out into the night and two blazing reiatsu flared like a beacon for all to see. I heard a girl yell and a Senkeimon clack. Soul Reapers, I thought, how vulgar.

I later found out from Yoruichi that two member from the Soul Society had abducted a girl from one of the four great noble clans. I dodged a hit from Tessai and scooted out of his range. "What the hell, Tessai? Why would you hit me? He snorted and pushed up his glasses. "You should pay attention to the boss, you know. You need to help him no matter what you say."

The look on his face was so terrifying that I shut up. Kisuke walked in and gave us a little wave. He nodded to Yoruichi and she immediately turned to a cat. She held up a claw towards my face and I did the same. Tessai gathered my clothes and shoved them into a hole in the wall. I shrieked my protest at the treatment of my expensive outfit, but Tessai picked me up and put me outside.

I bumped into a man outside. He had orange hair and a large zanpaktou. Yoruichi nudged me towards the opposite direction and I reluctantly followed. We stopped near a river somewhere and she turned around. "In a couple of days, we will be going to the Soul Society, Hime-chan. Kisuke is sending us to retrieve the girl who was kidnapped. She has something that is critical to us."

I made a face and tried to talk in the human language, but my cat instinct took over and I meowed in acceptance.

The capture of Rukia Kuchiki had caused a huge riots in the Soul Society, especially in Squad 13 and 6. Toshiro wasn't surprised by this and he didn't want to take part in the squabbles either. With Matsumoto gone, he was stuck in his office until dawn doing nothing but paper work. When he reached for his cup of tea, the rim cracked and a little piece of the cup fell of and clattered on the table.

It was eight days already and I was already dreading the night I would be entering a Senkeimon again. Kisuke had gathered quite a group to accompany us. I swiped at the orange haired girl who tried to pick me up, but she avoided it and petted me. Kisuke was very persistent that I stay in my cat form otherwise I would have pummeled this girl to pieces.

The Seinkeimon opened and we quickly ran through it with only one obstacle. The cleaners had chased us and almost caught the man in white. The girl had released her powers and blocked it, though Yoruichi had made her learn her lesson later.

Then the stupid soul reaper had the courage to face Gatekeeper of the West. I didn't care if the boy defeated him, he alerted the whole soul society that we were here. The gate was opened by the gatekeeper and standinig in front of him was the fox-faced Gin Ichimaru. The soul reaper charged him and during the distraction, I snuck in and ran away before any of the guardsmen could see me.

I got lost in the Soul Society because most of what I remembered was either modified or demolished. It took quite a while to find Squad 2 barracks and I was too afraid to enter it.

"_So, Hime-san. You're in the Soul Society even though you swore to yourself to never enter it again. What are you going to do?"_

I ignored this because I knew Shirobara couldn't do a thing since I left her in the world of the living. Soon, I got impatient and reverted back to my human form. No one saw me however, I shunpoed faster than the eye could see and even if they saw me, they would not say a word because if they did, then I'll find them. I soon found Squad 10 (very easy because I was in the air) and changed back into a cat.

Nothing much has changed, except for a couple of gardens and soul reapers I've never seen before. When I approached the office, I could hear loud, exasperated shouts and someone running out of the office. I guessed that Toshiro was still large and in charge.

The funny thing was that I could peer through the window if I sat on the nearby cherry tree, but the annoying thing was that once in a while he would glance at the tree, causing me to feign sleep. I jumped down from the tree during one of these innocent glances and part of me wanted to take him by surprise by changing back, but I restrained myself and wandered around the grass until he came out of his office.

It was a many hours before night fell and Toshiro felt like he could collapse on his desk and not give a care to whoever walked on their captain sleeping. But he preferred to sleep on a futon with a pillow and covers. After he locked up the office, he found a cat staring up at him with amused eyes, if that was possible. He tried to ignore it, but if followed him until he picked it up and raised it to his eye level.

The cat struggled to get out of his grasp then gave up. It looked back at him with strikingly familiar eyes. A fiery red-purple color with a knowledgeable look on a cat might have been exaggerated a bit, but not in Toshiro's case. He stroked the cat's gray fur absentmindedly and thought why was it so familiar to him.

Finally, the cat struggled out of his grasp and landed on the ground below. It gave him a hiss and what looked like a smirk, then ran away. When Toshiro got out of the shower that evening, he went to the corner where the painting had hung for decades and had uneasy thoughts about what he just saw.

Before he fell asleep, he heard a hauntingly familiar voice sing out loud into the moon lit night.

It took a long time for me to fall asleep on that hard tree branch and even harder to stay asleep. Shirobara was pestering me and in the end she got tired and fell asleep. Oh how, I wished Yoruichi-sama would hurry up.

The next morning, I got up and strolled to other squad barracks to see what has changed. I wished I had known what was in Squad 12 otherwise I would have stayed away from them. When I was heading back to Squad 2, a huge reiatsu burst from the sekiseki barrier and exploded. I quickly distinguished which one was Yoruichi and hurried to join her.

We ended up near Sokyoku and shifted back. The clothing in the cave was uncomfortable and loose in contrast to my own clothing back home. I sighed and sat on the cliff's edge, gazing at the sunrise until Yoruichi plopped down next to me.

"Do you still miss them, Hime-chan? Do you still miss Toshiro and Soi Fon?" I gave her a sickly sweet smile and said no even when I knew in my heart that I still did.

After Yoruichi left, I shed my clothes and shifted back. I could already sense the fight going between the Soul Reaper boy and another man with a high level of reiatsu. I later learned that the boy's name is Ichigo Kurosaki and was encouraged to address him as such, but that is later on. I was on a roof during the climax of the battle between Ichigo and the soul reaper when a large flower of a firework nearly blasted me into the sky. I was lucky that only my tail fur was singed.

I stayed out of every battle and came back after it was finished to heal the injured. Following the girl and the quincy was a captain. I didn't see his face but judging from his reiatsu, he was going to be a formidable opponent. The day past with very amusing outcomes, the whole Seireitei was reduced to babble of confused captains and soul reapers. I even manipulated a couple of people to false locations and set illusions on them.

That night, when I was asleep on a roof, someone had caused an explosion at the base of the building and destroyed the section I was sleeping on. I looked down and saw a ghastly man and a woman trailing behind him. It was the captain who was following the quincy and the girl. The quincy asked the drunk to carry the girl away from there and I must say it was a very good idea because the captain turned out to be a sadistic monster. The quincy was furious when the captain tossed him a piece of paper, this caused him to stand up even though he was slashed across the back with Ashisogi Jizo.

He ripped of pieces of clothing and tied them to his limp arms and the reiatsu surrounding him was overwhelming. That's it, I was going to step in and end the fight before it got out of hand. Leaping off the roof and landing on the ground next to the injured woman, I turned back to a human and quickly shunpoed to the captain's side.

My mouth curled into a vicious sneer even though I meant to frown. "Hello, Taicho of the Gotei 13. I don't know if you know this, but you are hurting a comrade of mine and I don't like that." I flew in the air and raised my left leg, intending to smash it down into the ground, crushing him into dust.

The woman on the side cried out as my leg met its target. Even though he couldn't see me still, he was trying at a desperate rate to catch up to me. "You insolent, little brat. Show your face to me or when I experiment on you, I'll make sure you'll die before sunrise." A punched hit his face and another in his stomach. Suddenly, the quincy stood up when I kicked the captain in his direction. He gave a small smile to me and nodded. Another kick was aimed at his head and then I flew away.

In my cat form, I stood on the roof, watching the outcome of this battle. I had to jump as soon as the captain released his bankai. The head of a gruesome baby reared its head and spray a purple mist into the air. Poison, I thought. I've encountered many poisons before, but not like this, This was lethal and as soon I breathe it in ,I'll die.

I did what any respectable Omeitskido what do. Run away if the foe was stronger than you.

It was night time and Toshiro could feel various reiatsu clash. Mayuri Kurotsuchi and a ryoka. Both reiatsus were fading fast, having to be activated in a final blow. He was sitting down on the hard floor of the walkway and watching the moon, sipping his tea. It was absolutely perfect tonight with the exception of the obvious battle going on close to his squad.

The cold night air stung his face and the blossom petals swirled around the sky. It was then did Toshiro heard a lonely melody join in.

"_I've tried so hard and got so far, but in the end, it doesn't even matter. I had to fall to lose it all . . . In the end it, doesn't even matter . . . I've put my trust in you, wished that was as far as I can go . . ._

Toshiro was captivated by the voice and set down his tea to wander around his garden to find it. In the furthest corner in the garden, he saw a girl's silhouette flicker then disappear. Disappointed, he went back for his tea and found the little gray cat sitting next to the cup, gazing at the moon.

It looked at him and stood up, as beckoning him to sit down. He noticed that its left leg and right paw was caked with blood. It mewed when it noticed this and bounded away from him to the tree in the center of the garden. It's eyes flashed blood red in the moon and it made him very uneasy. Toshiro walked back to his room, hearing a cold, feminine laugh behind him.

It was late into the night when I finished my conversation with Shirobara. Tonight she was overly energetic and annoying, due to my little encounter as a cat with Toshiro. She thought I should turn into a human in front of him. The cold wind pelted me in waves and my fur was the only thing that kept me from freezing.

My eyes found its way to the door to Toshiro's room and I decided to have a peek to see if that has changed too. Changing back to human form was such a nuisance because I knew I have to change back to a cat after. I opened the door to find a sleeping Toshiro on the floor.

He didn't look like he was going to wake up, so I took this chance to explore his room once more. It was a bit messier but cleaner than the average room. In a corner, I found a painting hanging there. I only saw half of it, but it was enough to bring back memories. I remembered I had painted this for Toshiro as a present. But I never got the chance to finish it. Suddenly, Toshiro stirred and I felt myself stiffen.

When I saw he just turned on his side, I relaxed and continued with my tour of his room. His desk was littered with paper and so was the floor. When I was done, I turned to leave and almost fell onto Hitsuguya-taicho's sleeping form. In n the moonlight, he was gorgeous. His snowy hair was spread across the pillow like fresh snow and I blushed at the sight of his chest.

I stepped closer to him and leaned closer to his face. He looked so vulnerable in his sleep. I leaned in too close and a lock of my hair brushed against his face. I quickly got up and turned around to run away when I felt his hand grab my ankle. That exact moment I shifted back into a cat and sat down. The sheets behind me rustled and I heard him get up.

"How did you get in here?" His hands tried to pick me up, but I avoided him and walked over to my painting. Toshiro followed me to it and when I looked up at the painting, his eyes widened. "You like the painting, don't you?"

I meowed my response and he took it to be a yes. He sighed and said "This was made by a former friend. She was an artist and good one too. What's weird is that she always had an affinity for cats. Maybe that's what drew you here."

He stared at me for a while and asked "Can you understand me?" I meowed again, nodding my head at the same time. "You remind me of her, your eyes and coat at exactly the same color as her hair and eyes. She always exotic in both personality and appearance, and like you she was delicate." I never knew that thought of me this way and yes I was a cat that had the size of a kitten.

Toshiro murmured something that sounded like why am I talking to a cat and ran his hand through his hair. Then he scooped me up and opened the door to put me down outside. When the door closed I shifted back and whispered "Goodnight, Hitsuguya-taicho." When he opened the door once more, I was already gone.

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Took me a while to come up with ideas. Hope you enjoy the Soul Society arc. Oh yeah the song excerpt in the story was In the End by Linkin Park. Reviews!


	16. Sweet Sacrifice

Good day people! I drank so much coffee that I was able to get this done in one day. If there is any spelling errors let me know! God! is it possible to get a hangover from coffee?!?!?!

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The next morning I could feel two reiatsu in the open. Yourichi-sama's and Ichigo Kurosaki were the only ones that weren't captured or injured. After my little talk with Hitsuguya-taicho yesterday, I didn't feel enough energy to move. I never knew he thought of me as exotic, so I scanned his mind the next morning to see what else.

Apparently, I had interrupted a conversation between Hyorinmaru and Toshiro because it went like this.

"_I see you have recalled some of your memories of the past when you talked to the cat last night. Does it remind you of her," asked Hyorinmaru._

"You know full well what I felt last night. Just what are you implying here?"

"_I see you have forgotten your little infatuation with a certain ash haired maiden, boy. You use to think about her so often that I began to feel the exact same thing," teased Hyorinmaru_.

"Shut up, you were the one who planted those back into my head last night."

"_What, those little images of her falling on you? Your face was an explosion of red, boy. Even more than the last ninety-three years put together."_

"I mean it, Hyorinmaru."

"_Do you still remember the look on her face, how she felt like when you straddled her waist? When you made her angry and she smothered you into her chest?"_

I gave an amused chuckle and exited their conversation. So my old friend use to have an infatuation with me . . . I'll make sure the next time I see him in human form that I shout this to his face. I'll make sure to find out more about this later as soon as I find a costume.

Toshiro was still irked with his conversation with his zanpaktou. For him to dig up those . . . images of Kurohime was an insult to her memory and if she was here, she would be dying from the humiliation. A voice pulled him out of his thoughts and back to reality. "Iryina, Sunade from the correction corps requesting your permission to enter, sir." He didn't say anything yet when the officer stepped in. She walked up to his desk and dropped to her knees. "It is an honor to meet you, sir. Commander Soi Fon has ordered me to ask you if you have seen anything unusual, like an gray kitten . . ."

She stood up and awaited his answer, but he was frozen with shock from both last night encounter and the girl in front of him. The kitten surely must be a stray or met him once. The girl, however bore a heavy resemblance to both a cat and Kurohime. It was uncanny how often he saw Kurohime in something these past few days.

Sunade Iryina asked "Sir, are you okay?" Even her voice sounded like Hinamoto's. The girl had long, gentle, gray curls that were swept back into a ponytail and she wore the white uniform of the correction corps, similar to the outrageous outfit Kurohime had constructed out of old sleepwear as a result of losing her uniform. Her pupil's were slanted like a cat's and her limbs were catlike and lithe.

"U-uhh, I have seen a cat in the garden the past two days, but how is it connected to the ryoka invasion?" Her upper lip twitched and she said "I never said anything about the ryoka invasion, but if I must. Yoruichi Shihion is supposedly back in the Seireitei."

With that, she spun around and pivoted out his office and beyond. But all Toshiro could think of is the kitten.

I read his mind when he was trying to give me an answer to my little fib. Sure, I may have given away something that was vital to our mission, but Yoruichi' cat form was black and I can spend the next few days wandering the Seireitei as Sunade Iryina. Actually, Sunade was a correction corps officer that happened to jump in front of me. So I knocked her unconscious and stole her clothes.

Over in the distance, I could feel another battle getting out of hand. The boy who was know as Kurosaki, Ichigo and a captain of the Gotei 13. Their reiatsu had leveled many buildings and probably attracted the attention of many officers of the Gotei 13. The captain and Kurosaki are probably monsters because if you look carefully at the insane amount of reiatsu released, you can see a vague depiction of a yellow skull and blue depiction of a hollow. On the roof across mine, I could see Yoruichi impatient for the battle to end. "Hello, Kurohime. I see you decided to shift back as a human. How is it to roam the Soul Society as a free woman?"

I scowled and replied "My name isn't Kurohime, its Sunade Iryina from the correction corps, Yourichi-sama." She laughed and we both turned our attention to the brawl below which apparently ended without us witnessing it. Ichigo and the captain had knocked each other out and my guess was that they were probably down for the count.

Suddenly, a pink haired girl appeared out of no where and bowed to the unconscious Ichigo. "Thank you. Ken-chan hasn't had this much fun since forever." While she was saying this, she was picking up the man (which was an admirable feat since he was ten time bigger than her) and shumpoed away.

Meanwhile, I saw Yoruichi picking up the ryoka boy and slung him over her shoulder. "where are you taking him, Yoruichi-sama?" She smirked and said "You'll see." They were gone before I could say another word.

Toshiro was still thinking about what the girl from the correction corps had said. If the cat was actually Yoruichi than he could grab her and demand answers to the various questions he had. But Yoruichi Shihion did not resemble the feline at all. She had gold eyes while the cat had red and her hair was blackish-purple. The messenger that was sent could be a possible suspect. Sunade Iryina also reminded him of Kurohime.

The girl looked like Kurohime, but a couple of years older. Her hair style was different, Kurohime had messy, unruly hair while she had neat curls. The most eerie resemblance was their faces. The bangs in Sunade's face were just a bit longer and they both the had deathly pale look on them. He almost thought Kurohime was actually alive, but was she? He had saw her die right before his eyes. Toshiro carried her corpse back to the Seireitei, trying to hold back the emotion he felt that day. But a twinge of doubt was still in his heart and he realized he relished at the thought if she was still alive.

The cat wasn't there that night, but Sunade Iryina came back. Holding herself quite stiffly, she bowed and handed him a stack of papers. "Commander Soi Fon ordered me to give these to you because Omaeda-fukutaicho had refused. I'm also here to catch the cat to see if its Yourichi Shihion." Toshiro couldn't refuse her so they ended up sitting on the walkway floor, waiting.

She sat like a statue, but her eyes were always wandering around, searching. "Did you know Kurohime Hinamoto," he blurted out. Sunade stared at him curiously and said "Yes, I have." His eyes widened and listened eagerly to what she had to say. "I met her in Rukongai. We looked so much like each other that we declared each other twins. She was devastated though, after the massacre of her family and ran away. I never saw her again."

Toshiro was disappointed by the lack of information and tried to get more out of this girl by telling him what he knew of her. "She became Taicho of Squad 2 and Commander of the Omeitskidos. She was my friend, but in the end she ended up betraying me." The girl stiffened even more and said "She was like a sister to me. I don't want to hear any bad memories of her, especially if you were her friend, then you would also know what her past was like."

This girl obviously cared about Kurohime so much that he see could her eyes watering up. Yet he still wondered why was she grieving over a dead person and a traitor to boot. "We were orphans tossed onto the streets like trash, forced to survive on scraps we stole from people. People chased her down and nearly killed her and still she smiles. I've heard from the seated officer of Squad 2 what they thought of her and they were horrible things."

She shuddered and continued "You probably witnessed her power first hand. She killed people without even hesitating and cried later about it." After that little outburst, everything went quite again and Toshiro took the time examining her. Her reiatsu was hidden away from him, like it bore a heavy secret that couldn't be shared with the world. Her face had a melancholic look set permanently into her expression and her frosty lavender lips greatly set off her features, something that Kurohime use do.

Wait, why am I thinking about her, thought Toshiro. He couldn't help it though, she also wore perfume like Kurohime, but a different scent. A heavier, flowery scent that he couldn't describe. "How would you react if you found out Kurohime Hinamoto was alive, Hitsuguya-taicho?" This simple question set his mind on a collision course. How would he react if she was alive?

Would he be rejoice to find his companion unharmed or disgusted that she ran away from her duties and betrayed her comrades. "I honestly don't know," he said. She nodded and after a little while he could she her eyes flutter and she yawned a couple of times. "I'm sorry, Hitsuguya-taicho. I'm afraid it has been a long day for me and I would like to rest now. If you see that cat, please notify Commander Soi Fon.

I got up after bidding him goodnight. How blunt can he be even when I was four inches next to him. I don't mean to be offensive, but still I couldn't intrude in his thoughts since my eyes might give me away. I wandered into an abandoned house at the skirts of the Seireitei and fell asleep.

The next morning when I was "patrolling" the Seireitei, a wail of despair fill the air as I was just heading back to my hideout. A couple of kilometers from me was a woman wailing on the ground while several seated officers surrounded her. I realized they were all fukutaichos.

All the soul reapers were pointing at the building behind me. I turned around and saw the bloodied body of Sosuke Aizen. Finally, someone had killed him, I thought. He had it coming to him, but my first question was who? Almost all of our group had been captured with the exception of Kurosaki Ichigo and Yoruichi-sama and I was hoping they were all right. This wasn't right though. As much I wanted to see that bastard dead, he couldn't have been killed. Five captains fought against him and lost, the boy was far too weak and Yoruichi knew well enough to stay away from a fight she couldn't win.

While I was thinking, the woman who was weeping drew her sword and swung it at one of the fukutaichos. On her left arm, I saw a badge that bore the fifth squad's insignia and had five written over it. My first instinct would have been to stop the fight, especially when the woman released her zanpaktou, but it was not my fight and I would blow my cover as soon as I stepped in front of those fukutaichos.

Suddenly, Toshiro appeared, his katana half drawn. I couldn't hear him well enough, but I knew he was reprimanding the man and the woman. I was shocked when he told Rangiku and a few others to pick the pair up and threw them in jail. Then he turned to Gin Ichimaru, who was standing there the entire time and said something that oddly sounded like a threat. I shunpoed out of his radar before he could sense me.

A couple of hours later, I intercepted a hell butterfly before it got to it destination to deliver it message. "In eight days, the traitor Rukia Kuchiki would be executed by the use of the Sokyoku. This is the order of the Central 46. Good day."

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I know this chapter is a little short, but I was tired. I've been thinking about rewriting Bleach on the Beach (my version) as soon as I get to the arrancar arc. tell me what u think. Reviews!


	17. Angel of Mine

Aww I have testing this week people! sorry 4 late update. aww crap i ran out of things to say. o well enjoy!

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Yoruichi and Ichigo were sealed in the underground training room and Uryu, Chad, Ganju, and Orihime were probably locked up somewhere. It was two days since the announcement for Rukia Kuchiki's execution was declared and I have noticed extra security around the execution grounds. Over the past few days, I've been wandering back to the Rukongai. As child, I use to live in District 80, even though it was the worst slum out of all of them, the thought of it made me smile.

My old house had been demolished to rubble due to vandalism, but I didn't care. I wandered over to the nearby field where my sister and I use to pick flowers for our mother. She would accept them then throw them out when we were asleep. Nothing much changed except for one thing, three mounds stood in the center of the filed.

I walked through the tall grasses and revealed three graves (a smaller one was covered by the grass). Names were carved across the markers. Only one stood out from the rest, Hinamoto, Kurohime.

My heart literally skipped a beat when I saw the names next to my graves. Someone buried me next my mother, sister, and cat. Wilted flowers covered the markers and ground, the sickly scent of the blossoms filled the air when I stepped on one. I went over to a nearby bush and started to yank out the flowers despite of the thorns. My hands were bloody and raw by the time I was finished.

After scattering the flowers on the three graves (not including mine's) I stood up and a thought came to me. Who buried me? I was angry that someone had thought I was dead, but touched someone had the decency to let me rest in peace. The sun was setting and I had to train . . .

Toshiro had just finished his paperwork for the day and took a sip of his tea. He was almost done with it when he heard a small explosion in the distance. There was no outstanding reiatsu that he could sense, but as a captain he had to make sure it wasn't a ryoka.

He shunpoed way past the Seireitei to a large clearing. The explosions were getting more frequent and louder. Standing to the side was Iryina, Sunade or what looked like her. She flew in the air and raised her leg past her head and brought it down on a dead tree. A blast of dust and other wreckage blew past him to reveal a large crater in the ground with Sunade standing in the middle.

She was panting heavily and blood dripped down from her arms and legs. Her arm swung to the side and hit another tree, causing it to split into dust. What the hell, he thought. She sunk to her knees, holding her shoulder in one hand and began tearing strips from her uniform and clumsily wrapping the strip around her arms.

Toshiro snuck up behind her and tapped her other shoulder. In an instinct, her good arm swung out and hit the canyon wall, creating a very large dent in the stone formation. Her eyes widened to a certain degree and she bowed her head down until it was touching the ground. "A thousand pardons, Hitsuguya-taicho. I didn't know you were there, sir."

Hitsuguya didn't respond to this, instead he got on his knees and reached into his shihaksho. Her eyes expanded even further when she saw it was a roll of bandages. Sunade angled her face away from his, but he still saw the slight crimson spreading across her pale features. It was a long, awkward moment between them both.

At the first moment of contact with her flesh, he flinched. She pretended she didn't notice this and said "Thank you, Hitsuguya-taicho." Her voice cracked in the middle and she let out an icy chuckle. When he was done, Toshiro stood up and extended an arm to help her up only to find her standing in front of him with her head bowed to the ground.

I couldn't believe it! After this long, I still haven't got rid of my naïve self. I should have just stood there like an idiot and splatter red paint all over myself just so he doesn't know I was blushing. Secretly, I was pleased. His hand skimmed over my arm as he applied the bandages, gentle and fast at the same time. Wait, what was I thinking? This was Toshiro Hitsuguya. My former "good old chum."

After he left, I pretty much destroyed the ground and caused severe rock slides. This somehow alerted Yoruichi and she suddenly appear. "What are you doing, Hime-chan? Is something the matter?" I stormed past her, my fist smashing the rock along the way. I really wish I was back home.

Late that night, three disturbances occurred during the time. All three fukutaichos that were kept in the jail cells had escaped and Toshiro was responsible for two of them. Instantly his mind wandered to Momo. Could Gin be involved in this? After all, his fukutaicho was gone from his cell and the door seemed from the outside.

Hitsuguya concentrated on any suspicious reiatsu. There, Gin and Izuru's were close to his barracks. Hinamori's reiatsu was hidden unfortunately, due to her being a kido expert and they hadn't bothered to lock her up with sekiseki cuffs. He shunpoed to a opened area, there stood Gin Ichimaru and his fukutaicho Izuru Kira.

Damn you, Gin, He thought. Toshiro had to kill Gin, he couldn't let him touch Hinamori. Gin's smile jst grew wider as Hinamori showed up. "Step aside, Momo. You can't beat him." Momo just drew her zanpaktou and pointed it at him.

"Momo, What are yo-" She just looked at him and said "I'm doing this for Aizen-taicho," Then she pulled out a piece of paper from her robes and read the contents to him. When she finished, Toshiro couldn't believe his ears. "Why, Shiro-chan?" Hinamori''s voice was clearly filled with betrayal and conviction and he saw the tears forming at her eyes. She let out a scream and slashed at him, the blow barely missing him by inches.

Toshiro repeatedly dodged the sword and tried to reason with Hinamori. "Aizen-taicho wrote it down in this letter! I know he did because it his hand writing!" With that she took another slash at him and whimpered "I . . . don't know what to think anymore, Shiro-chan." Then she screeched and aimed at him again.

This time Toshiro took to the air and noticed huge smirk that Gin Ichimaru wore on his face. It grew when he had looked down on him. Ichimaru, he thought. Suddenly, Momo jumped into the air, her blade poised to strike Toshiro. Damn, I can't move in mid-air, he thought. So he did the only thing reasonable, he knocked Hinamori unconscious and safely landed on the ground.

"You don't need to hit the poor girl so hard, Hitsuguya-taicho," said Gin. Toshiro said nothing as his reiatsu flared around him. "I told you if you made Momo bleed, I'll kill you myself," said Toshiro. The two captains drew their kantanas and charged forwards to meet their opponent. After a few vicious blows from Ichimaru, Toshiro said "Get out of here Izuru because if you stay here, I can't guarantee that you won't be killed." And with that, he took to the air. "Soten Ni Zase, Hyorinmaru!" Then a huge dragon flew towards Ichimaru as he readied himself against the Child Prodigy . . .

*2 Days Later)

This is it, thought Yoruichi. Just yesterday the Central 46 issued a new order that Kuchiki would be executed in one day's time. That meant Ichigo had achieve his bankai by tomorrow. The others were captured and who knew where Kurohime was now, she had shifted back into a cat after discarding her clothes in a flash before Yoruichi could see anything. Man, she got good at that.

So tomorrow was the day, I thought. Tomorrow was the day where everything will be revealed, why the execution dates keep changing, who killed the bastard Aizen . . .

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o yeah srry 4 short chapter but hey next week is the end for the Soul Society Arc. Review so you can tell me which arc to move onto. Bount or Arrancar? Toodles!


	18. Old Ties and New Beginnings

Hello poeple! I've been sobering up on the coffee and I think thats what made me write this as fast as I could. Enjoy . . .

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It was before dawn that I woke up. The Sereitei was already preparing for Rukia Kuchiki's execution, especially Squad 13. It was at this time I felt an ominous reiatsu wash over me, one filled with ambition and hate. Aizen . . .

That afternoon, most of the captains of the Gotei 13 gathered around Sokyoku Hill for Rukia Kuchiki's execution. Toshiro didn't bother to attend, he had to go to the Central 46 mmeting grounds because if he didn't stop Rukia Kuchiki's execution, something terrible would happen.

Rangiku followed Toshiro to the ground doors and pounded on them. When they both decided that no one would answer, Toshiro drew his sword and destroyed the door, making a large gap so Rangiku and him could enter. The sight that beheld them next was horrifying. Every single member of the Central 46 was murdered, their corpses lying in chairs or tables caked with their own blood.

Toshiro went up to one of them and fingered the blood. It's brown and flaking, that must mean that they were killed day before. But who did it, Gin, he thought. Suddednly, a vague shadow of one Izuru Kira stood in front of the entrance. "Taicho," Rangiku cried. They both tepped off, chasing the blond soul reaper.

"Shouldn't you be watching Momo, Hitsuguya-taicho," asked Kira. "What are you talking about. Momo's safe in the barrier room." Kira shook his head, "Momo is a kido expert and breaking a barrier like that would be child's play for her." After that, Toshiro turned around and flash stepped towads the other direction. "Matsumoto," he said. She nodded and he was off.

That damn bastard, I thought. Aizen was still alive and I saw it all. He brutally murdered his own fukutaicho without and hesitation what so ever. And that bitch Gin was with him. Normally, I would have just jumped out and slaughtered them both, but Yoruichi-sama must finish her task with Ichigo.

I watched as they walked out _Seijōtōkyorin_ and Toshiro suddenly arrived, a very undistinguishable face. "Aizen," I heard him say, "You're still alive?" Aizen smirked and replied "I am. Aren't I standing in front of you now?" Toshiro still looking confuse, "Where's Momo?" Then he finally got it when he shunpoed inside the _Seijōtōkyorin_ and found the lifeless body of the one called Momo. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Hitsuguya-taicho. I should have chopped her up and hidden the pieces . . "

Toshiro was still standing there, looking at his friend when I heard "How long, Aizen?" I was itching to go out and pummel Aizen's smartass face. "How long? Before I became a Taicho of the Gotei 13, of course . . ." Toshiro's reiatsu dominated the atomsphere, turning it into an icy mist. "Everyone here trusted you. Hinamori, me, and your subordinates and all the other shinigami. You deceived us all!"

Aizen smirked and replied "it wasn't my intention to deceive you. It was just that out of all of you, there wasn't a single person who saw my true face." I tensed when he saw those words. Of course, I saw what he was. A slimy son of a bitch who likes to lie. "Momo admired you." Aizen lifted up his ahnds and said. "That's why I chose her for my fukutaicho. Remember, Hitsuguya, Admiration is a feeling furthest away from understanding.

What I saw next was just baffling. Hitsuguya drew his katana and swung it. The next words I heard was "Bankai, Daiguren Hyorinmaru." When the dust and mist cleared I saw ice everywhere. I saw Toshiro with a pair of ice wings and wsa just shocked. I haven't even tried mastering bankai yet and here was Hitsuguya and his new display.

"Aizen, I'm gonna kill you," I heard him say. Aizen just looked at him and said "Don't say such strong words. They make your weakness that more apparent." Toshiro charged at him and I saw Aizen flick his blade and Toshiro falling to the ground with a spurt of blood. "It's not the season, but I must say that I enjoy the sight of ice at this time."

The bastard irked me and I was sick of sitting on the side and watching the action. I slipped out from my hiding spot and shifted back into my human form . . . right in front of Toshiro.

It hurts, Toshiro thought. But that was irrelevant to him right now as a new comer into this battle arrived. There was a small shadow in the mist that had grown larger. Her hair flew in the wind and she suddenly disappeared from his sight. Wham! There was a groan and Toshiro could make out the shape of the woman hitting Aizen. "Happy to see me again, Aizen. I came back just for you." The woman's voice was harsh and venomous. There were more sounds of a fist or a leg contacting with flesh until Aizen drew his sword and blood splashed to the ground.

I managed to swipe my (razor sharp) fingernails across Aizen's abdomen before I felt a very familiar reiatsu. It wasn't Hitsuguya because I had made sure I'd move fast enough that he couldn't tell who was in front of him. No, I felt this reiatsu almost daily when I was still in the Seireitei. Unohana-taicho and her fuktaicho, Kotetsu, Isane.

Before my next punch hit Aizen or Gin, I reverted back to my cat form and darted past Unohana before anyone can get to me.

Once I ran back to the outside world, I sensed Soi Fon's reiatsu . . . along with Yoruichi-sama's reiatsu. Was she all right? All of a sudden, I remebered that Unohana had walked in there. I hoped she was all right because as soon as I felt Aizen's reiatsu disappear from the _Seijōtōkyorin_, Kakushitsuijaku I ran back in there.

"Unohana-taicho, are you ok?" Isane turned around to look at me. "A talking cat? Who are you and what do you want?" I sighed and went up to the both of them. "My name is Kurohime Hinamoto, the soul reaper captain who died 93 years ago, Unohana-taicho. Please forgive me for scaring you, Kotetsu-fukutaicho," I whispered. I was not taking any chance that Toshiro was unconscious and I trusted Unohana-taicho not to reveal my secret. I glared at her fukutaicho until she got what I meant.

"Isane," said Unohana. Isane nodded and got out an ink pad, she then drew black marks over her arms. "Heart of the South, Eye of the North, Fingertips of the West, Heel of the East. Gather with the wind and scatter with the rain. Bakudo 58, Kakushitsuijaku! I watched as the sign on the ground fluttered and moved. "East 332 and North 1566. It's Soukyoku Hill!"

Unohana nodded and said "I will now commence on Hitsuguya-taicho and Hinamori-fukutaicho's emergency operations." I sane nodded and cotinued chanting another kido. "Black and white net! Twenty two bridges, sixty-six crown stings. Footprints, distant thunders, mountain peaks, valleys, night shadows, cloud sea, cyan line. Fill up the circle and zoom to the edges of the sky! Bakudo 71 Tenteikuura!

I immediately remarked on the speed and the flawless quality at the kido cast. "Taichos and fukutaicho of the Gotei 13 and all ryoka. This is the fukutaicho of Squad 4 speakking what I have to say is the truth . . ."

I hurried away from the Seijōtōkyorin and to Soukyoku Hill. Yoruichi was no where to be found and I could see Gin keeping everyone else besides Ichigo at bay. I couldn't take a swipe at Aizen because that would blow my cover, but I couldn't be selfish and let the boy die. In the end, I chose to stay quiet because I thought it was not worth risking my life for a dying man.

I watched as Aizen stopped that fukutaicho and Ichigo. I watched as the entire Gotei 13 came to apprehend the traitors and I watched as the three defected reprobates rise into the heavens with Menos Grandes. And yet, I was to cowardly to move a finger.

It ended in a different way that I never expected. I thought I would kill Aizen and save the Gotei 13 a whole lot of trouble and here I was sitting in the hospital room next to Hitsuguya's unconscious body.

_"Don't blame yourself, Hime-san. You fought too," said Shirobarakaze._

"I haven't heard your annoying, blabbering voice in a while, Shirobara. How are you doing?"

_"Don't try to change the subject! I'm trying to make you feel better!"_

I smiled, something that I haven't been able to do for a while (unless it was to get Hitsuguya under the radar) and stroked Hitsuguya's white hair. It felt soft and smooth. I just remebered that I haven't had a proper shower since day one. He stirred and my hand flew from his head and onto my lap. Yoruichi poked her head in and asked "Done yet?" I nodded and said "I would like to go home now, Yoruichi-sama. If its okay with you . . ." She beamed and said sure.

It was a couple of days later when Toshiro woke up. He saw the various gifts people left him (Ukitake) but one stood out form the rest. A single blood red lily in a glass vase on his nightstand.

It's been a couple of months since I've returned to the soul society and frankly, I had no desire to go back there again. I've enrolled in the local high school in an attempt to fit in with the general popularity and guess who I found there. Ichigo Kurosaki. I already stood out as much as possible with my style of dressing and mannerisms, so why this?

Also, I've noticed more frequent hollow attacks lately, I really hope that won't spell trouble for me, but unfortunately it did. A few weeks after, Ichigo was attacked by two humanoid creatures that could both use the powers of the shinigami and hollow. I helped save him (at the cost of him knowing my true identity then my alias Sunade Iryina)

I wasn't worried about that until after lunch a group of new transfer students that included a white hair boy that I never wanted to see again.

"Class, today I have good news. You have new classmates and five to boot!" The teacher than rose from her seat and knelt down next to Hitsuguya and cooed "Would you like me to help you find a seat?" He tried very hard not to explode as the teacher pointed him to a desk next to Ichigo and another girl. "Bad luck ehh, Toshiro?" It was no use in scolding him to call him Hitsuguya-taicho because they were in the world of the living.

He hoped the girl next to him wouldn't be such a bother. She had her nose in a book. Her hair was done in a lolita style and she wore a large number of ruffles and a corset over the normal school uniform. "Her name is Sunade Iryina. Don't look at her too much. She's scary when she wants to be," said Ichigo. She flinched when she heard this.

After school, Ichigo walked home and found his home in its usual chaos. In his room however, that chaos had turned into an obnoxious brand of chaos. "Oops, sorry Ichigo. We'll get you a new light bulb. How about Ikkaku's shiny head." said Rangiku. Ikkauku said something that made Rangiku hit him to the side. "Stop fooling around all of you or I'll have you shipped back to the Seireitei," said a voice from his window.

The icy captain of Squad 10 faced Ichigo and slid down from his uncomfortable position on the window ledge. "Why are you all here again" asked Ichigo. "Well, the Sou-taicho picked Rukia to go to the world of the living because she knew you the bes-" Rukia whacked Renji on the head and exclaimed "No, he picked me for my skills!"

Renji continued. "I was picked because I knew her the best, but Yumichika here wanted an adventure and Ikkaku heard do he wanted to join and naturally Rangiku didn't want to miss out for the action so she came. But Hitsuguya-taicho insisted on coming to keep an eye on her and us."

Toshiro shook his head and continued. "A couple of days ago, you faced of with two arrancars or hollows who gained the abilities of a shinigami. There are three types of hollows in Hueco Mundo. The gillians or what you know as a Menos Grande. A captain can easily capture and kill one of them. The adhuchas the second class of hollows. They are highly intelligent but weak. Lastly, the vastas lordes, or the hollows you fought the other day. The more human like they are, the stronger they can be. Even a captain would have trouble killing one of these and who knows how many Aizen has."

A sudden sound echoed through the room and Toshiro looked out the window. Someone with a lacey, black parosol was walking through the streets with a shopping bag in her hand. When she turned around, Hitsuguya could see blood red lips curled in a smirk. Then she turned around and walked away.

Renji looked at Ichigo and proclaimed "As part of duties as a substitute soul reaper, you'll have to find us a place to stay. Ichigo suddenly fidgeted and said "I can't. Sorry, but there are too many of you." And as expected, Rangiku whined and said "Pretty plesae?" Then she lifted her skirt as an attempt to convince Ichigo, but that just made him shy away more.

"No, you'll just have to find somewhere else to stay." Rangiku sighed and said "Oh well, I'll just ask Orihime!" Toshiro was suddenly dragged along with Rangiku as she waved goodbye to Ichigo and Rukia. When they arrived at Orihime's apartment, he climbed up on the roof and was quite stubborn about staying there.

Sunade Iryina, he thought. That sounded like the correction officer he met during when Ichigo's group invaded the Soul Society. What a weird girl, he thought.

It was later that night, after I ate dinner that I picked up Shirobara again.

"Ready to fight again, my old friend?"

_"You bet, when are they coming?"_

"Soon, very soon."

Then we felt a large amount of unearthly reiatsu sound its announcement ot us.

"Let us see who is stronger."

Matsumoto was fighting an arrancar, he didn't know its name but he didn't care. "Oh my, I've found a captain. How fortunate," said the helmeted arrancar. "My name is Shawlong Qualong. I am the 11th arrancar. Pleased to meet you."

Toshiro responed with a rough blow that hit the arrancar's zanpaktou. "Hitsuguya-taicho of the Tenth Company." It was then did they begin to spar. This went on for long time until Shawlong decided he didn't want to toy with him any longer. "Awaken and snip, Tijereta!" Toshiro had long released his bankai and Shawlong noticed something. "Those ice flower in the air. They represent the energy you have left to continue your bankai. Right?"

Toshiro nodded and continued to try hitting him. Shawlong countered by moving his arm a bit, which in turn caused a large wound that injured the center of his chest and face. Shawlong continued with this torture until a woman's voice yelled out "Gentei Kaijyo has been approved!" A flower blossomed on his chest and he yelled "Gentei Kaijyo!" With two others yelling it with him.

"What is this Gentei Kaijyo," asked Shawlong?" Hitsuguya snorted and answered back. "Gentei Kaijyo is seal that every captain level shinigami has to wear in the form of a company badge. It severely restricts our power up to eighty percent. When that seal is removed, then our power is quintupled." Toshiro aimed his blade at Shawlong and cried "Ryusenka!" But unfortunately, the arrancars had already started to flee in the other direction before the soul reapers had a chance to fire their attacks.

Suddenly, all the fleeing arrancars convulsed and turned around and ran straight back into the powerful attacks. Their dying screams echoed in the cold night air. "What the hell? They committed suicide," said Renji. "No, said a quiet voice behind them.

All at once they turned around to face a distant figure standing in the sky like them. "I merely killed them. That's all." Toshiro was immediately sickened by that grin she wore on her face. "Who are you? Are you a soul reaper or hollow?" A cold laugh rang through the air. "Who am I? I am a soul reaper," she laughed. "Then where is your zanpaktou," asked Toshiro. "Silly boy, I've been holding it the entire time." The girl twisted the handle on her parasol and the fabric and wires suddenly dissolved of of the parasol, revealing a mid length gray scabbard with a purple guard. Toshiro immediately recognized as a certain zanpaktou he saw many years ago. "You're not Sunade Iryina, are you?"

"That's right, my real name is Kurohime Hinamoto."

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He knows now! mwahahahahahaha! If you don't get it or just love it, oh well . . . reviews!


	19. Roses For the Dead

Hello people! I apologize for the late update but enjoy and if it gets to cheesy than tell me, instructions down there!

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"Kurohime Hinamoto," he repeated. The girl smirked and charged towards him with her zanpaktou drawn. Without any effort, she easily evaded the huge ice dragon and shattered it. Then, before his eyes she disappeared and a sudden, shocking pain emerged in his back. "See you at school tomorrow, Hitsuguya-taicho." The last thing Toshiro heard was the ringing yell of Matsumoto calling his name.

I knew what would happen if I told any soul reapers about my existence, my possible execution for achieveing hollow like abilities and yet I was glad that I had told someone. But why do I still feel empty inside? Was it because I had thrown away everything I've worked for the last 93 years for a former ally that now could be my undoing? Or was it the disbelief and betrayal on Toshiro Hitsuguya's face before I knocked him unconscious?

Either way I was going to regret my choice later.

Toshiro had a lot of time to think about what would happen if Kurohime was alive, but he had decided a long ago that such a possibility would not exist. These were his exact thoughts when he stepped through the double doors of Karakura High School. Matsumoto and Ikkaku were bickering behind him and for the first time he didn't want to either of them to shut up.

When he stepped through the classroom door, every distracting noise and scenes were soaked up like a sponge when his eyes fell on the girl with the book in her hand. She flinched when he set his things on his desk and sat down.

"Class, please turn to page 46 . . ." It was a long time before they finally got out of class for lunch. Ichigo had led Toshiro and his group to the roof for lunch and suddenly Matsumoto burst into conversation with Orihime and Chad. But Toshiro had been watching the girl who was eating an apple with a book in the other hand.

"Taicho, what's the matter? You haven't touched the red bean potato sugar rice paste that Orihime made for you! Eat up or you'll hurt her feelings!" As tempting as that sounded, they were suddenly interupted by a loud howling above them. Toshiro looked up and saw a group of hollows on the roof above them, with their jaws opened wide. "Don't move, anyone," Matsumoto whispered.

They all nodded when a huge hollow lunged for Orihime. It hesitated and its skull shattered into pieces, raining the hollows blood on them before it dissloved. The enraged hollows then charged at them to avenge their fallen comrade only to meet the same mysterious fate.

"Who did this," asked Ikkaku. This was answered when a smoking object fell from the sky and bounced off his bald head. It was an apple core, splattered with the hollows' blood. All of a sudden, lunch didn't sound so good after all.

I walked back to the classroom in silence and left a note for Miss Ochi that I had an appointment. Normally, I would have left an explanation, but today I wanted to leave as fast I could. Unfortunately, when I was strolling down the streets, someone wanted to detain me and I was in no mood for reasoning.

A flying dragon made of water and ice flew towards my direction and nearly hit me. I didn't need to look up to see who it was. Another one came towards me from the opposite direction and I took an anken hidden within the pleats of my long skirt and hurled it towards my assailent.

It returned to me in a frozen chunk, useless. But I had hurled six at Toshiro and two fell back down from the sky. So that meant only four had found its mark, I guess I must be older than I thought. Blood rained all around me and I could sense that Toshiro was tired already. I took another six of my ankens and prepared to hurl them at Hitsuguya when I heard someone shout "Bakudō #61. Rikujōkōrō!"

Toshiro watched as six bars of light slammed into Kurohime's midsection and forced her down to her knees. Her parasol and the ankens fell from her hands and her eyes widened then forced themselves shut. Kisuke Urahara shunpoed to his side and yanked on of the ankens out. Toshiro was suddenly flooded with various pains, emotionally and physically.

"Anthestetic and poison,"Urahara announced. "Enough to make your body numb and paralyze you slowly." They heard a loud cracking sound below them and saw Kurohime stuggling to break the bonds. She looked like she was about to faint when the last bar shattered. She gave them both a death glare and shunpoed away, leaving them stunned and frozen.

Urahara carried Toshiro to his shop and called Tessai forward. Tessai stepped forward and casted a barrier around Toshiro. While healing his wounds Tessai attempted to have a conversation with him. "You hit by her poison, didn't you?" Toshiro nodded and Tessai continued. "You got lucky. Ususally, those ankens would have killed the person as soon as it touched his skin. It's all Yoruichi's fault for teaching her how to use them."

A high, feminine voice sounded throughout the store. "Where is he? I want to see my captain immediately!" Rangiku burst into the small room and dropped to his side. "Taicho, who did this to you?" He sighed and replied, "Gather everyone and meet at Orihime Inoue's place. I'll join you as soon as I get out of here." It took a while to leave Tessai's custody, he was overly cautious and kept trying to feed him medicine from god-knows-where.

A large crowd had arrived at Orihime's, even Chad and Uruyu has shown up. "Taicho, you came," shouted Matsumoto. Toshiro thought about telling her to quiet down before she made him deaf, but thought better about it. "I want to tell you all that someone named Kurohime Hinamoto is currently in Karakura Town. Should you see her, do not engage in comabat with her."

"What?" Ikakku's yelled. "Why? She's just one person!" Seriously, Toshiro was going to enforce a no shouting policy as soon as he got back to the Soul Society. "This one "person" was strong enough to break through a level 60 bakudo. This "person" was also the former Commander of the Omeitskidos and Captain of the Second Division. Said rumors also report that she can use hollow-like abilities."

The whole room was eerily quiet until Matsumoto spoke up. "You mean Hime-chan? As in Kurohime?" Toshiro glared at her and she shut up. "Isn't she known formally as the "Demon" ?" Renji asked. Toshiro jerked when he said that. "I suggest you use her name instead of calling her names, Renji," said Toshiro icily.

_"Master, are you okay? You're not like this," asked Hyorinmaru._

"I'm going on patrol," declared Toshiro and Matsumoto got up as well. "I'm going with you too, Taicho. I can't stand being with Cueball." She then flashed a look at Ikkaku and stuck her tongue out. Since Ichigo left, Toshiro had been filling in for him, to watch for and kill hollows. But tonight, all he sensed was one familiar reiatsu, Kurohime's.

Matsumoto and himself followed it to the outskirts of Karakura Town until they reached a huge building. A mansion to be exact. The front gates were chained together and it was a pretty forboding place. Neverless, they climbed the gate and searched for an entrance to go through. It was quite a while before they found a balcony somewhere far from the gate and even longer to find Kurohime in person.

Some doors were locked and some were opened, with no signifigant belongings in them. They were lost until Matsumoto pointed to a huge double door entrance. It wasn't locked and the reiatsu seemed to be the strongest here. They stepped inside silently and found a bedroom. In the middle was a huge canopy bed with transperant black silk curtains. "This looks like scary and stylish at the same time, don't you think, Taicho," whispered Matsumoto.

But Toshiro had already wandered off to the bed and pulled the curtain aside. Sleeping in the bed was Kurohime herself. The moonlight shone through the windows and bathed them both in a silvery light. He reached out to stroke the sleeping girl's hair and watch her sleep. "Taicho, what are you doing? What if she wakes up," hissed Matsumoto. Toshiro paid no heed to this until Kurohime kicked aside her black covers. She still seemed to be asleep, but her face was flushed pale pink in the moonlight and she figeted every now and then.

"What did you do, Taicho? What if she wakes up? You told us that she was dangerous, didn't you?" Matsumoto shoved Toshiro and examined the girl. "Oh my god, it's really her, Taicho! She really alive!" Matsumoto raised a hand up in the air if to slap the girl awake, but Toshiro intercepted it before Matsumoto actually did the deed. "Let's go, you can try to talk to her tomorrow."

She nodded and exited her house from her opened balcony door. After they left, the girl got up from the bed and said "It's such a shame that I'm not Kurohime, right shirobarakaze?"

I was heading back home after visiting Yourichi at Urahara. They didn't seem very happy that I was experimenting with my new "concoction". In fact, I got scolded by them (included Tessai) and sadly, I didn't give a crap. Toshiro Hitsuguya should have learned long ago when to back off.

My stomach rumbled and I had forgotten that I haven't since three nights ago, so I went to the grocery market and bought (stole would be the better term) some ingredients to make some decent grub. I had forgotten my cloak at home and Shirobara was somewhere in my room with my gigai and gikongai.

Somewhere in the middle of the road, I saw two distant shadows moving my direction, so I chucked a tomato at them. They dodged it and the taller one drew his/her sword and shunpoed away. Toshiro and Rangiku were at my house and the first thought that came to my mind was how did they find it.

I put my groceries down on the ground and flew towards them. I raised my arms to cast a kido spell and yelled "Hadō #31. Shakkahō!" When they dodged it with shunpoe, my guess that they were shingami had been proven correct. The taller one swung the katana towards me, but nothing happened. They kept running towards me and the taller soul reaper (I could tell now is female) swung the hilt at me and a dust tornando surrounded.

I sighed heaviliy and smiled slightly. They have given me the opportunity to try a new attack that Yoruichi had attempted to teach me. My reiatsu swirled around me and I cried "Shunko!"

Matsumoto watched as her Haineko was blown apart by someone who used the technequie shunko. She actually thought it was Yoruichi Shihoin before the person's black clothing was blasted from her pale white shoulders. She quickly waved Haineko's hilt again, but the ashes were too slow to catch up to her. A loud explosion sounded and through the dust flew Kurohime with a semi-angry face.

The girl landed smoothly on the ground wih no problems, except the level of her reiatsu was slowly creating a crater in the concrete ground. "May I ask what you two are doing here?" Matsumoto's mind raced. "Two? there's only m-" She watched as her taicho revealed himself behind her, a kido winking in and out of existence as it was poised to strike the girl's neck.

Kurohime lashed out and snatched Toshiro's wrist, the kido being negated with a hankei. Then she threw him aside and advanced on Matsumoto. "Sorry, I bear no feelings for you, but if I must survive then I must kill." And with that she lunged for Rangiku, with her hand stretched out to pierce the older woman's chest.

The second it was about to hit her, Rangiku pulled the girl close into a back-breaking hug. "W-what are you d-doing," gasped the girl. But it was too late, her reiatsu recoiled from their embrace and slunk back inside her and Matsumoto felt the afteraffects drain the girl of her consciouness as she went limp against her. "M-Matsumoto-fukutaicho, what have I done? What have I made of myself?"

Toshiro watched as the last of Kurohime's shunko shrink back into the girl and Matsumoto cradling Hinamoto in her arms. "Taicho, what's on your haori," she asked, wrinkling her nose. He glanced downward on his jacket and saw traces of red and green chunks hanging onto the white, pristine fabrics and to the crushed bags of vegetables lying on the street. "I think it was her dinner, but that doesn't matter. Why is she out here if we saw her sleeping at her house?" His fukutaicho shrugged and turned back to the direction of the huge mansion.

"Where are you going, Matsumoto? Town is this way." She continued walking and replied, "We can't leave her on the street like this, she'll freeze to death." Toshiro snorted and was about to make a snappy retort when he saw the broken stream of tears running down Kurohime's face. "I think when I hugged her, that might have triggered something, Taicho. Let's get her someplace warm, then when she wakes up we can ask her questions, okay?"

The entrance to her room was difficult to find. It seemed like when they left, it moved to somewhere new. But something new was waiting for them on Kurohime's bed. "Put my mistress down or you'll regret it, shinigami," said the other Kurohime. In a swift movement, Kurohime was gone from Matsumoto's arms and was lying on the blcak bed. "I know who you are, but the question is why would two lone shinigami be chasing a poor, helpless girl on the streets when they have other business to attend to?"

No one gave an answer and the other Kurohime took an sharp pin from her hair and multiplied it four times. "These are hairpins that have been dipped in the same poison that you've encountered. But my mistress was using her experimental prototypes. The poison in these would kill you the second it hit you, not to mention that there are no anthesetic in these, so you'll die a very painful death."

Toshiro couldn't believe it when the real Kurohime's arm reach for her look-alike's arm. "Sunade, put those away. I'll deal with this in the morning." The hand fell to the side of the bed and it was silent. "You got lucky, shinigami. If you do anything to provoke her, you'll be hearing from me and these again." Once she closed the black silk drapes, she whispered "I would like one of you to stay here until my mistress wakes up. Unlike me, she knows you and you must have a lot of questions to ask her. But like what I said before, if she gets hurt than, you'll regret it."

I woke up silently as usual, careful not to disturb Sunade in the next room. She must have carried me back to my house after I fainted in the streets. I smiled at this, it was hard to find a friend that you can rely on, even if the friend was your gikongai in your gigai. My blouse was in tatters which meant I was successful in my shunko.

I parted the drapes and found Toshiro Hitsuguya, asleep on my sofa. To prevent from screaming out loud, I clamped my hands ove my mouth and ran to the restroom. What happened last night? After I calmed down, I went to my closet to grab a new outfit and showered off the stench of last night from me. When I was done, I exited the bathroom and found myself face to face with Hitsuguya-taicho.

Was it possible to have fourteen heart attcks in a second? Because I swore my heart missed at least six beats. "What's wrong, Hime-chan? Are you feeling okay?" He brushed aside my bangs and I slid away from him. "What are you doing here? I never invited you to stay." He chuckled and said "Your friend next door asked me to stay. She was very persuasive, Hime-chan."

I got further and further away from until he noticed I was standing three feet from him. He shunpoed to my side and snaked one arm around my neck and the other around my waist. "I guess you don't like physical contact, Hime-chan. Or is it because I'm holding you?" I was still squirming when he said this so I only hear "Hime-chan." "My name is not "Hime-chan," Would you like it if I called you Shiro for the rest of your life?'

While we were arguing, I was well aware that he was dragging me out of the bathroom and back into my room. Then we heard a clack on the door and turned around. I had forgotten the possibility of Sunade being awake, but with the volume of our argument, she would have been awake for five minutes already. "Kurohime-sama! Are you o- . . ."

Oh, crap. I just realized that Toshiro was still holding me and I tried to picture how this situation would look like to someone else. Sunade covered her mouth then let go, releasing a high-pitched screaming. "Wait, Sunade! This not what it looks like!" But it was too late. She was laughing her ass off back to her room. He let go of me and started touching my hair. "You didn't untie your hair from last night and it still looks li-"

I was blushing red, something that didn't happen to me anymore and here I was trying to put together what had just happened. I gave up and went downstairs for breakfast. Sunade was there, eating and trying not to choke on her miso soup. "G-good morning, Hinamoto-sama. I trust that you're all better and ahahahahaha!" She burst out laughing and spilled the boiling hot soup on herself. "I see that you're in a good mood today, Sunade. Instead of being the usual, quiet self you are."

Toshiro was watching Kurohime cleaning up the puddle on the floor when the window panels burst open and Matsumoto flew through. "Taicho, Are you okay? The other Kurohime or "Sunade" coughed and continued laughing. "Okay? He's more than okay. More like "gettin' it on" okay. I found them in-" Kurohime was holding Sunade in a death grip, but the damage had been done. "Taicho, is that why you wanted to stay last night? I didn't know you had it in you!" Kurohime's grip seemed to waning as her face grew redder and redder.

Kurohime was livid and she had let go of Sunade, who was joining in with Matsumoto's laughter. Sunade went over to Kurohime and pulled on the strings of her corset. "Why don't you show Hitsuguya-taicho what you're made off?" Kurohime snapped backwards and stood like a statue who was glaring everyone's heads off. Suddenly, Matsumoto shutted up and grabbed Kurohime's arm. "Hey, I have a great idea! Why don't we go shopping . . ."

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Hello again! (I have nothing to say for that shameful event between Toshiro and Kurohime) Yes that had to come out because I thought it was funny! Reviews!


	20. Stand In the Rain

Hello again! I'm was suppose to upload this yesterday, but my friends took me somewhere. Anyways, enjoy!

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I was going to die if I saw another store again. My arms and legs were aching and I felt like I going to drown under all the bags Matsumoto made me carry. This was strained even more after she made her next purchase at a boutique I would never be caught dead in. She came up to and saw how much I was carrying, so she slung the bags over her shoulder and exclaimed, "Where did you get that dress? And that skirt?"

My mind recoiled when she said that. Two possibilities would be that she hated it and would go shopping for me or she like it and would go shopping with me and both were not pleasant for me. I muttered the store name so quietly that I couldn't hear it myself and yet she did and dragged in the direction of said store.

So the rest of my day was sitting in front of the dressing room and watching Matsumoto trying on things and buying outfits for me that I sorely did not need or want.

Toshiro had just woken up from his nap on the couch in the living room, when the door flew open with a loud BLAM. Matsumoto finally came back from her trip and Toshiro was just stunned at how short it took for her to buy clothes. It was also strange how her style of dress had changed in a matter of hours. His fukutaicho was in a violet-red gown and her hair was done in an elegant swirl.

A muffled voice came from behind her and then it turned in an almost silient sigh. "Put the bags down and show off your dress, Hime-chan," said Matsumoto. "I just want to go back to my room, Matsumoto-fukutaicho," said Kurohime. "Stop calling me that, Hime-chan. It makes me feel old or scary when you do." Then Matsumoto pulled the bags from Kurohime (which was very difficult) and dragged her in.

Toshiro knew he would have ran away from the second if Matsumoto had suggested that he would wear an outfit similar to Kurohime's. But he was not a girl, so that did not apply to him. She was in a black lacey gown that pooled at her feet. She looked like she was going to faint.

"_She looks like a bride if you take away the black and change her facial expression," mused Hyorinmaru._

"Shut up," said Toshiro in his mind.

When he looked over at Matsumoto's direction, he saw Kurohime was gone and his fukutaicho was sorting through all the bags. He got up and walked the staircase to the upper level to nap somewhere else. A soft melody came from a door far down the corridor and entranced him. When he tried to open the door, it wouldn't budge and a harsh voice shouted "Hinamoto-sama is busy, Toshiro Hitsuguya. If you need anything, look for it."

Hitsuguya gladly obliged, even though he would like nothing more than to break down the door and shake some manners in Sunade, Kurohime's gikongai. There wasn't much until he came to the huge, wooden double door entrance at the end hall. This was Hinamoto-chan's room, he thought.

Toshiro twisted the knob and opened it. It wasn't like he hadn't been in it before, but seeing it in broad daylight set a new picture in his head. There was canopy bed and the sofa and everything, but it was the designs on the walls that intrigued him. The huge, intricate sign painted on the walls were intimidating and at the same time, mysterious. He processing this thought in his head when the air was knocked out of him and his ribcage was being crushed against Matsumoto's chest.

"Well, I'm going back to Orihime's, Taicho. Have fun here at Hime-chan's." Then she gave him another back-breaking hug and prepared to exit out the balcony when Toshiro fished her back. "Explain to me why I have to stay here, Matsumoto," asked Toshiro. The busty blond frowned and then smiled. "You have to watch over her just in case if she gets in any trouble." With a giddy laugh, she jumped over the edge and disappeared from Toshiro's sight.

I heard everything on the other side of the door. Great, I thought. I had to be stuck with the biggest brat ever know to mankind. As soon as I heard Matsumoto exit, I burst in the room in the same fashion as Matsumoto (I tried really heard on this) and smiled graciously at him. "Well, I heard you'll be staying with me for a while." He looked at me like I was crazy, so I did the only thing possible that still passed as polite. "Sunade, could you come in here, please?" At once, she appeared at my side and looked over at Toshiro, I could see the malice in her eyes when I told her that Toshiro was staying here.

"What?" That was a delayed reaction and I thought she would have pounced on Hitsuguya and pounded him senseless. "Could you show Hitsuguya-taicho to his room on the far side of the hall, please," I asked curtly. It was funny how she looked at the captain with such hate when she looked at me like I was a queen. "Yes, Hinamoto-sama."

"_Why didn't you refuse him, Hime-chan," asked Shirobarakaze._

"I just wanted to keep an eye on our young friend here, so_ he_ doesn't get in trouble."

"_You enjoy this don't you," asked Shirobarakaze._

"Precisely."

Toshiro didn't like being dragged all the way across the hall and then being pushed into a room and the door slam close behind him. After Sunade left, he explored his room. It was almost like Kurohime's room with the exception that it wasn't as grand as hers. There was a huge bed in the center and a mahogany wardrobe. The huge window provided a good view of the sky and the gardens below.

The sun was setting in the far off distance, so he sat down on the bed to watch it. The orange and purple hues filled the stark white room like a painting, but it disappeared after the moon came. Toshiro went to the bathroom to clean himself off before he went to bed only to find that it was more complicated here than it was in the Soul Society.

Not wanting to disturb anyone, he crept out of his room and down the hallway to find another alternative for his situation. Kurohime was shut in the other room again, so he took advantage of this and sneaked into her bathroom.

She must had had trouble with human world's gadgets and probably asked Urahara to do something for her. Toshiro smirked at this thought, clearly happy at finding some flaw in his old aristocratic-like friend . . .

I ate dinner silently downstairs with Sunade, then walked in the gardens alone. It was late at night when I decided it was too cold to be outside anymore. Sunade was probably in her room and I hadn't heard a peep out Toshiro's room since Sunade pushed him in there. With a small smile to myself, I walked back to my room and prepared to take a shower.

"_Having fun, aren't you, Hime-san," asked Shirobarakaze._

I nodded and lossened the corset around my bodice and flung it on the bed. It hit something on my bed, so I decided to take a look. It was seven shopping bags aligned together, sorted by color so it looked like a rainbow. I read the note taped to the brightest (which was white) , "Wear these or else. Love, Rangiku Matsumoto."

I didn't want to, but that "Or else" scared me and what was the worst thing that could happen? I grabbed a black nightgown out of one of the bags and examined it. It was not so bad, I thought. At least it still covered up something.

I walked towards the door and opened it. I was shocked into silence afterwards, which was shattered by an shrill, ear-splitting scream from me. Toshiro Hitsuguya turned around and looked at me. The he suddenly realized why and just shrugged it off like it was nothing. But I certainly thought that if seeing Toshiro Hitsuguya in nothing but a towel was nothing, than me wearing colorful clothes would be the same.

Toshiro had enough time to wrap a towel around himself before the door opened. A flustered Kurohime walked through and immediately, her head snapped forward and her violet-red eyes widened when she saw him. Then his ears rang with the shrill, girlish scream and the quiet "oh my" was unexpected. Her hands were clamped over her mouth and she looked like she was doused in red paint.

Sunade's loud voice yelled, "Are you okay, Hinamoto-sama?" Hinamoto let her hands fall to her side and she shouted "Yes, Sunade. I just had a nightmare. Go . . . go and get your rest." Then she turned around with her mouth opened when she noticed that Toshiro was staring at her.

It seemed to Toshiro that over years, Kurohime had grown quite a bit and he could pretty much see why she bothers to wear such an uncomfortable article of clothing such as a corset over her blouse or dress. Hinamoto frowned slightly, then pushed him out of the bathroom and threw his clothing afterwards.

"_Poor thing, she looked like she had sixteen heart attacks all at once, boy," said Hyorinmaru._

Toshiro sighed and put on his hakama pants, he had left his haori and shirt back at his room. He was going to sit down on the bed when a crinkling sound stopped him. Several shopping bags were lined neatly at the edge and he saw a pink piece of paper on the floor. He read it and sighed. Hitsuguya swore he would have to try to limit his fukutaicho's spontaneous shopping trips. He moved them to the floor and sat on the bed. Without a second thought, he laid down on the black comforter and stared up at the roof of the canopy bed.

Then he scrambled back up as the door opened all of a sudden. "Oh, you're still here. I thought you went back to your room, Hitsuguya-taicho." Kurohime walked out of the bathroom and over to him. "So, are you okay?" Toshiro was startled by the question and stuttered yes while his real thoughts were _"No! I just want to ravish you and kiss you until you're senseless!"_ But those thoughts were put into his head by Hyorinmaru.

He had to say that Hyorinmaru had a right to think like that because if his friend walked down the street like that, then every man within one kilometer of her would intoxicated by her very presence, much less her appearance. Matsumoto had done a very good job to ensure her petite friend would do just that. Kurohime was clad in a black satin nightgown that revealed her curves perfectly and made her seem an inch or so taller or until he stands right next to her.

She sat down on the bed and looked down. "I'm sorry, Hitsuguya-taicho. I didn't mean to attack you that night, but I just had . . ." She trailed off after this and for the first time in long time, she looked like she would be crying. Not knowing what to do, Toshiro gathered her into his arms and hug her. Strands of wet hair escaped from the elegant bun-like hairstyle that she kept and her perfume wafted over him like a soothing blanket.

The awkwardness was replaced by a tender moment between them both when Hinamoto buried herself further into his arms and stifled a small sob. His cheeks reddened, but he kept himself still enough and patted her back. "I- I'm sorry to have done this. You should go back to your room and rest," she whispered. Toshiro quickly made up his mind and decided to stay comfort her until she calmed down. It was the only chivalrous thing he could have done.

Kurohime cried unashamedly into his arms and Toshiro murmured soothing words in an attempt to calm her down enough so she could think coherently. It took a while and after that Kurohime had fallen asleep without his knowing. So, he picked her up and laid her down on the bed and wiped the remainder of the tears that had fallen from her eyes. With a smirk, he pulled the covers over her and left her room.

A loud rapping sound woke me up somewhere in the morning. I got up and went over to the door and opened it, only to have someone tackle me down onto the ground. "W- what the hell are you doing, Sunade? I was sleeping," I said. This only served to make her more agitated. "I heard what that ruffian did to you last night! He made you cry, didn't he? Then he tried to take advantage of you!"

"Take advantage of who," asked a husky voice above us. Sunade leapt up and spread her arms out as if she was shielding me from him. "You . . .you. You made Hinamoto-sama cry and then you tried to . . . You tried to . . ." I got up and dusted myself off. "I tried what, Sunade-san? Did I try to harm your mistress or take her away from you?"

Sunade twitched and shrieked "You monster!" I saw Toshiro smirk when he knew he had pushed Sunade up to a whole new level of angry. "I only hugged her, it's not like we hadn't before. Besides, I only did that because she was crying, _by herself_." Sunade turned around and looked at me and I smiled sheepishly and nodded. "I'm sorry, Sunade. It seems like my instincts had gotten the better of me." Sunade looked appalled, then suddenly understood or looked like she understood. "Yes, Hinamoto-sama."

After she left, I went over to my wardrobe and started to find a decent outfit to wear when I heard Toshiro's voice behind me. "So, what did you mean by _instincts_, Hime-chan. Or would you like me to start addressing you as Hime-sama?" I blushed and replied, "That is none of your concern, Hitsuguya-taicho. You've already painted a vivid enough picture for Sunade and I don't want her to get the wrong idea."

He smirked and exited my room. I sighed and got dressed.

Toshiro was amused at how calm Hinamoto was when she replied to his question. It was unnerving to have somebody talk to you like that and try to stay still. He did however enjoy his little argument with Sunade.

"_So, did you really try to take advantage on Hinamoto, boy?"_

"No, I would never do such a thing," he replied.

"_So, you did not like it when she "hugged" you," Hyorinmaru teased._

"I did, just a little," he admitted.

"_You lie. You loved it when she cried in front of you yesterday. Otherwise, you would have went back to your room as soon as she apologized."_

. . .

"_See, I was right after all," said Hyorinmaru._

"Yes, yes, you're right, okay. I have to meet up with the others to smooth out a few situations."

Without giving a glance to the door behind him, Toshiro walked out the door and towards where Matsumoto and the others were.

Sunade sensed something while she was in the kitchen and ran up the stairs at once to warn her mistress. But Kurohime was already standing outside of her room with her parasol in her hand. "My lady, you know? The coming event of today?" Kurohime scoffed and smiled, "Of course, my abilities have not dimmed since I came to this world, Sunade. I must get to Urahara and Yoruichi immediately."

"I bet that when you look at pictures of yourself, you say 'I don't look like that at all'! The loud and obnoxious bickering between Yumichika Ayasegawa and Rangiku Matsumoto pulled Toshiro from his conversation with Hyorinmaru long enough to intervene with a threat to send them back to the Soul Society if they don't shout up.

Honestly, if this keeps up, I may need to go to Mayuri Kurosutchi and fix my ears, Toshiro thought. Hitsuguya prepared to go back to his inner world when he thought he heard Ikkaku say something. Just then, an unearthly spiritual pressure flew past the group in the park and they all looked up at the sky. "Taicho, look!"

A garanta opened in the sky and four small figure stood in silience as they glanced downwards at the soul reapers. Arrancars, and their reiatsu are as high as an Esapada's, he thought. He took his gikongai and popped it into his mouth, exiting his gigai into his soul reaper form.

He clashed swords with the first arrancar that crossed his path. "Hitsuguya, Toshiro. Taicho of the Tenth Division." The huge arrancar beamed and boomed "Ten? I'm a ten too. My name is Yammy, the Diez Espada." After a while, the other arrancar addressed Yammy. "Yammy, let me have that boy you're fighting with. I'll release and take them on." The arrancar reached for his zanpaktou and opened his mouth. Hitsuguya realized that he was going to release his resurricion. "I won't let you! Bankai! Dagurin, Hyorinmaru!"

"Strangle, Trapidora." Something collided with ice wing shield of Hitsuguya's bankai, but it was not enough to break through. Once Toshiro released his shield, eight white tentacles hit him and he fell from the sky. "Damn it . . ."

I could find Yoruichi-sama, but Kisuke was already going to set out, so I followed him instead. We saw three soul reapers each clutched in a white tentacle. "Scream, Benihime!" "Hadō 33. Sōkatsui!" Our attacks freed all three and Urahara was suddenly attacked by the small arrancar. I watched as the tentacles wrapped around all three soul reapers

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Yeah, some of this is really cheesy, but I kinda ran out of ideas. Reviews


	21. Thirst

Wow, that was fast even for me. But I drank a lot of coffee! Go coffee!

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"What is your name, Espada," I cried. The man cocked his head his head in my direction and for a moment I thought he was a woman. "My name is Luppi, the Sexta Espada. What is your name, shinigami?" My reiatsu flared as soon as the word 'shinigami' left his mouth. "I no longer reside with the shinigami, Luppi-sama. I left them as soon as I learned this." The man's eyes widened as my red colored reiatsu turned silver.

My hand rose to my face and in an instant it passed over my face and I saw the world through hate filled eyes.

Matsumoto couldn't believe her eyes when her young friend was covered by a mask. A hollow's mask to be exact, the mask sent shivers through her spine as the girl's reiatsu flared around her and sent shock waves around the battlefield. Kurohime lunged at the espada, lopping off the white tendons before they had a chance to touch her.

She could see that the espada was having a hard time keeping up with Hinamoto's speed and the density of her reiatsu was practically choking them all. Suddenly, the espada was flying to the side, only to bounce back to the opposite direction, like a ball.

When she stopped, the blond saw Luppi covered in blood with bruises and cuts everywhere. "Damn you, bitch. Damn you, shinigami!" Hinamoto froze in her tracks for only a moment when a white tentacle slammed the girl to the ground. "Hinamoto-chan," Matsumoto cried. No answer. "Don't worry, Rangiku-san. I'm okay." Although Matsumoto couldn't turn around, she saw the younger girl standing out of the corner of her eye, her parasol dripping with blood.

"Ahahahahaha! Have you had enough, _shinigami_! Kurohime's mask was broken at the top left corner and blood ran from her forehead down her face. "I thought I had asked you to stop calling me that, Luppi of the Espadas. Now you are going to force me to pound it into your head." Luppi laughed at her. "A shinigami who has hollow abilities beat a true hollow? Don't make me laugh, girl." The tentacles reared their tips in the air.

"Are you not a hollow who has shinigami abilities? You are sadly mistaken that you are a true hollow, Espada. I am also sure that your creator was a shinigami, am I right," Hinamoto whispered. Then she opened her parasol. "I can't fight in the sun for very long, the heat makes me anemic." Matsumoto saw this was true when the portion of Kurohime's unmasked face was returned to its pale color when she hid herself under the parasol.

The espada looked at her and laughed once more. "A shinigami who has an aversion to the sun? You are weak, shiniga-" A red blossom spread on the espada's leg, a black anken protruding from it. "Beware, Espada. Those who laughed at me have died in the most horrible ways imagine, so I warn you to be careful of who you decide to tread on." Another anken flew to his abdomen.

Matsumoto was frightened by the girl's odd threat, but she saw the girl will use anyway necessary to strike her enemy down. But suddenly, Kurohime waved her hand in front of her face, the hollow mask disappearing and Kurohime's eyes reverting back to their normal color again.

Toshiro saw Kurohime's hand pass over her face and traces her reiatsu still lingered over the area, but it was different. He crept quietly back to the battlefield and froze the Espadas tentacles. The Espada said something to Matsumoto and tried to raise his weapon, but to no avail. "What . . . What is that?"

Toshiro revealed himself to the arrancar, "Never ignore you opponent. You were careless." As Toshiro was saying this, he saw Kurohime throw two ankens at the Espada. Blood splattered to the earth when he rasped "You're still alive?" Kurohime smirked and gave a rough tug and four bloodied ankens were pulled from the Espada's body. "My Hyorinmaru is the ultimate ice weapon. You can shatter it, but as long there's water around, it will always reform."

"Don't," the arrancar said. "You're finished now. Thanks to your negligence, I had more time prepared. Your weapon may have eight arms . . . But mine has all the water in the atomsphere." Hitsuguya saw Hinamoto flick her index finger and one anken found it's way to the arrancar's shoulder. "Your body has enough anthesetic to make you numb to the pain as my poison corrupts your body, Espada."

She yanked out the anken and nodded to him. Toshiro said quietly, "Sennen . . . Hyoro." All four ankens suddenly sunk into a huge ice prison and were pulled out as soon as they touched the pillars, leaving a small red blotch on the clear ice. "Sorry, but I had to use something to clean my weapons, Hitsuguya-taicho." Then she turned and walked away from the battlefield.

I sensed Shinji's reiatsu coming from the warehouse and I rushed to meet him. But Hachigen told me he had left to where Ichigo was. I got there just in time to hear Shinji say, "Don't you have any control? Every time I dodge your attack, you destroy something. It makes me think twice about dodging them."

Then he spotted me and smirked. His opponent tried to attack him and I saw it was the arrancar that had fought Ichigo Kurosaki the night before. Next, I heard a whoosing sound, it was Shinji, who had decided he had enough of playing with the arrancar. His hollow mask had brought me back to the moment I saw it. I snapped out of it when he fired his cero, the blast that I had to shunpoe just to dodge.

Somehwere far above the clashing pair, I felt a pressure in the sky and looked up. A crack hed opened and saw an arrancar come down. He stopped the one with blue hair and a yellow beam suddenly enveloped them. I watched as the Negacion shrink back into the garanta and closed.

Toshiro watched as he saw his Sennen Hyoro crack into pieces and the Espada rear his frozen head. "I'm sorry. You couldn't kill me, Taicho-san." His face contorted into a sneer. "Don't forget my face. Next time we meet, I'll twist off your little head and smash it!"

"I've had it! Let go off me!" Toshiro sighed and thought 'Don't they ever shut up'? His wounds were minored so they were easy to heal. His thoughts kept wandering until his eyes caught Kisuke, standing a small cliff, talking to Kurohime. She nodded and sighed. Kisuke patted her back and she gave a small smile, but it didn't look real. Kisuke turned to look at Tessai, but he seemed to have spaced out.

Kisuke Urahara . . . I know what they sat about him, but he remains a mystery. He's been in deep thought since the arrancars left. In any case . . . Considering the number of Espadas, we got off easy, he thought. Toshiro turned to Matsumoto and said "Matsumoto! Were you able to contact the Soul Society?" His fukutaicho turned to him and shook her blond head. "No," she replied.

"_Mistress, are you okay?"_

I sighed and replied, "Yes, Shirobara. Why do you ask? You haven't addresses me as 'mistress', so is this important?"

"_Kisuke Urahara, he sent you to help the Kurosaki boy, didn't he? He knows something is going to happen tomorrow, right Mistress?"_

"I wish he was wrong, but I've saw and I must, Shirobara. Are you going with me, then?"

"_Of course, Mistress. I would follow you to the ends of this world and into the next,"_

I smiled and went to bed.

The next morning, Toshiro got up early in the morning. He checked his communicator and heard a dial tone. Something was not right, so he called Matsumoto, only to receive a grim report.

Sunade was fast asleep, so Hitsuguya snuck over to Hinamoto's room to tell her. But she was also asleep. Toshiro saw a spare bit of parchment on her nightstand and searched for a writing utensil. It took a couple of minutes, but he wrote her a note to meet him at Orihime Inoue's apartment.

After folding it, he left it next to the girl's pillow and turned to leave when he heard her murmur his name. Hitsuguya went over, thinking that she had called him, but he saw that she was still asleep.

Hitsuguya went over to Ichigo Kurosaki's house and opened the window, seeing the boy was already awake, he urged him to hurry as they rushed to Orihime's apartment.

Waiting for them were Renji, Ikkaku, Rangiku, Yumichika, Rukia and Kurohime. "Is the reiha interference gone, Matsumoto." The woman replied, "I think so."

Toshiro stood by Rukia Kuchiki and Kurohime. The screen in front of him shuddered and turned to clarity, with Ukitake in the middle. "Ukitake? Where's the Yamamoto-soutaicho? The sickly man looked down and said "There is some news that I thought I should tell you first."

"Why?" Ukitake sighed and said "Because I was the last person who saw Orihime Inoue when she entered the Senkaimon gate and returned to the world of the living. Judging from you reactions, I think that she never arrived." Ichigo was the first to speak up, "What's going on? What happened to her? Where did she go?"

"Her fate is uncertain. The two guards that were assigned to escort her through the Senkaimon returned alive. According to them, Orihime Inoue was abducted by an arrancar and possibly killed." Rukia Kuchiki stepped up next to Ichigo and shouted, "Ukitake -taicho."

"I'm sorry I had to say it. We don't know anything for sure. All we know is that an arrancar appeared and she disappeared with him."

Ichigo looked as he was going to explode and he did. "What the . . .? Orihime's not dead, no way? You don't know what you're talking about! Look at this." My wrist was injured in yesterday's battle. Nobody over here could heal it. But it was completely healed when I woke up this morning! And there were traces of her reiatsu over me and you're telling me she's dead?"

"Yes," Hitsuguya looked up at the screen once more and saw Yamamoto-soutaicho. "It is most regrettable. If what you said was true, then perhaps Orihime is still alive. But then, that implies betrayal. Had she been abducted, she would have not been allowed to visit you. In other words, if Orihime healed you and disappeared after, then she must have joined the arrancars of her own free will."

Ichigo held his fist out as to punch the screen, Renji Abari stopped him. "We understand, Yamamoto-soutaicho, so as leader of the advance team, I will go Hueco Mundo and open the eyes of the traitor Orihime Inoue." "You may not. Now that we know that the arrancars are battle ready, you will return immediately and prepare for battle . . . To defend the Soul Society." Rukia Kuchiki looked s she might faint. "You . . .you want us to abandon Orihime?"

"Exactly. She is only one girl and we have the fates of the worlds to consider," said Yamamoto calmly. "With all due respect, Yamamoto-soutaicho . . . I cannot obey that order."

"I suspected as much. Fortunately, I took precautions." A Senkaimon gate opened behind the group and Kenpachi Zaraki and Byakuya Kuchiki stepped out.

"You heard the Soutaicho. Come with us." "Do not resist, we've been ordered to use force if necessary." Behind Toshiro, the Soutaicho's voice sounded once more. "Hinamoto, Kurohime. Your absence in the Soul Society was once marked as betrayal, but now we know. You must come back to defend the Soul Society."

Beside Hitsuguya, Kurohime stiffened and boldly announced, "No, I will not, Soutaicho. You should have known long ago that after I faked my death I had no intention to return." Behind her another Senkaimon gate opened. "Very well, I have also taken precautions for this."

A man with blond hair and a woman with black hair tied in the back with a ribbon stepped through. The man spoke first. "Forgive us, but you must come back to the Soul Society." Toshiro felt Kurohime's reiatsu spike with anger.

"How could I when that place brings back so many pained memories! I would be betraying myself and my life if I went with you," she snarled. "Very well," whispered the man. "My name is Izuru Kira, fukutaichio of the Third Division and she is my third seat, Takarai, Seion."

"I don't care what your names are! You are never going to touch me!" Toshiro watched as the girl charged at them in blind rage and drew a fan from her skirt. It was made of ankens and she slashed at Seion. "Please, calm down, Hinamoto-chan. Or you'll cause trouble for all of us."

Kurohime rebounded and her reiatsu broke the wooden floor, sending splinters flying around the room. "How dare you call me by my name? I will never go back to that horrid place ever again!" Toshiro placed his hand around Hyorinmaru as he watched Kurohime raise her parasol.

But he saw Izuru shunpoe behind Kurohime as she charged at Seion Takarai in blind rage. The woman clashed with Hinamoto and he saw tears run down her porcelain face. But she gasped when Izuru hit the back of her neck. "Damn you, damn you all to hell." And she slumped to the ground and the woman gathered her in her arms and together they walked back intot their closing Senkaimon.

I woke up in a dark room, my hands chained together with seki seki hand cuffs. The woman who was known as Seion Takarai was adjusting a cold towel on my forehead. "You've woke up then, . . . Uhh . . . What should I call you?" I recalled our short battle that I had reproached her for calling my name. "Hinamoto would be fine, Seion-san."

She smiled down at me and my heart panged for she looked just like Miss Saihete. I remembered her warm gray eyes as she had put a towel on my forehead when I first met her. I also remembered when those eyes had turned cold and lifeless and I had wept bitterly when she died.

"Why am I here, Seion-san?" She looked at me questionably and sighed. "No, I don't. But I was ordered to escort you to Squad Ten when you wake up." I realized that until the Sou-taicho summons me, I would be quarantined in the Squad Ten barracks. She pulled my arm gently and I got up slowly.

A sudden shock of dread hit me. "Where's my parasol?" I felt my skirt and the ankens I kept there were gone. "Hitsuguya-taicho took them and said he would guard them until you need them." Then she opened the door and I walked out.

Actually, it was more like marching. I felt like I was going to be executed. The jeering crowds and the flying rubbish grazed my face.

"Go back to hell, you were-demon!"

"Look at her witch garb! She looks like she dressed for a funeral."

"Do you think she can talk to other demons?"

"You're not welcome here, you demon!"

The sun was glaring in my face and Seion Takarai looked remorseful at my awful treatment. One soul reaper tried to attack me with a dagger, but she stopped him. The sun was so hot now and I felt so weak. So very weak.

Toshiro was working on the endless stacks off paperwork that had been left for him over the days since he had been gone. Someone knocked on the door. "Seion Takarai, third seat of Squad 3 reporting in with Kurohime Hinamoto." "Come in." The door opened and the woman walked in, carrying Kurohime in her arms. "What happened?" Seion Takarai looked downwards and replied, "She fainted in the sun, I picked her up and ran here as fast as I could, sir."

He nodded and said, "You can leave now and give your report to Yamamoto-soutaicho." Seion bowed and left his office. He looked down at Kurohime on his sofa. She looked very uncomfortable and her skin was a blaring pink.

He sighed and took her back to his room, trying to ignore the envious looks of the female soul reapers and the glares from the male shinigami. He set her down on the futon and sat down beside her.

"_Why do you think she is here, boy?"_

Hitsuguya ignored this question and went back to the office to get his paperwork. Back at his room, he finished a couple of stacks of paperwork before Kurohime woke up. "What the . . .? Where am I?" Then she spotted Toshiro and sighed. "I fainted, didn't I, Hitsuguya-taicho? He nodded and she looked ashamed for a moment, then she got up and walked over to a corner of his room.

"I'm still surprise that you have this, Hitsuguya-taicho. It was not even perfected yet." Hitsuguya smirked then frowned. 'Still', she has been here before, he thought. Hinamoto broke his thoughts, "Do you not recognize me as Sunade Iryina? Was I here before? I was, but only to help Yoruichi-sama." Then she smiled, revealing two pointed canines. "I was here in your room, standing here before, talking to you. Do you not remember?"

He recalled all his memories and picked one. "The cat, you were the cat, weren't you? But you gave yourself away and assumed the identity of Sunade Iryina."

He was smart after all, I thought. But Sunade Iryina was a woman from the correction corps while Sunade was my gikongai. "Yes, I was the cat, but these _things_ prevent me from switching forms." I gestured the cuffs and walked away from him. "So what do I do know, Hitsuguya-taicho? Do you have any ideas why I am here?"

He shook his head and returned to his paperwork.

It was late that night when I dared to make my escape. While he slept on the futon next to me, I limped over to the bathroom and with as little noise as possible, broke the chains with physical strength, not with my reiatsu. The cuffs were still there and I had to smash them outside against stones. I went back inside and whispered to Shirobarakaze, "Don't worry, I'll come back, soon."

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Yeah, Seion Takarai is my friend waz-up-woMAN's oc. Go and check the story out! Really good! It's called Misery Can Be Love! Anyways, reviews! Coffee Rules!


	22. Sleep Away

Hello Again (I plan to change the greeting into something else as soon as I think of something) Anyways, if it doesn't make sense then refer to the chapter where i said I was a coffee addict

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Hitsuguya woke up as soon as he heard a loud clack in the dead of the night. His hand accidentally went over to the futon over him and he only felt cloth, nothing else. Toshiro got up immediately, lit a candle and took it over to the futons, dismayed to find nothing but an empty futon and shards of what looked like chains.

Hinamoto's black parasol was still here, so the girl couldn't be far without her zanpaktou. But she was somewhere in the Seireitei, in her cat form without the seki seki handcuffs. Toshiro grabbed his Hyorinmaru and ran straight for the door, slamming the wooden frame and cracking it. Damn it, Hinamoto, he thought.

I almost laughed out loud when Hitsuguya woke Matsumoto and dispatched dozens of search teams. I had no clue that I was this important to the Soul Society and yet I had no regrets when I gave it my all to cause chaos and disorder in the Seireitei.

Rangiku watched as Kurohime fell to the ground, bleeding and wounded. The girl's face was distorted, but she managed to put out a wicked grin before she dissolved back into the shadows. "Fooled you," she whispered. That was the sixth illusion that night and frankly, Rangiku could see the frustration and anger threatening to explode from her taicho's small form . . .

No outstanding traces of reiatsu could be detected anywhere, so how was Kurohime pulling this off. The answer to this was obvious. The devastating power of the shadows that the girl wielded was unrivaled. She sent most off his search teams off to Unohana-taicho, screaming about a ghost or a huge monster.

Toshiro could hear the pleas for mercy over his hell butterfly and it always ended with same message. "Come and find me, Hitsuguya-taicho," followed by a unnerving laughter. "Taicho, that was last of our search team. What do we do now," Matsumoto asked behind him. "We wait for her to come to us, Matsumoto. She was picking of the teams by the strength of the group's reiatsu and we're next."

A tree rustled behind the pair, startling them. Another Kurohime leaped out in front of them, but it was different this time. A silvery haze surrounded her and Toshiro could tell that this one was protected by a kido barrier. "Greetings from my mistress, Hitsuguya-taicho. Hinamoto-sama says she is willing to end this game if you go back to your barracks."

That grin that had resurfaced from Hitsuguya's memories was starting to haunt him. "What game is she trying to play, doll?" Kurohime's shadow doll tsked. "You should be more polite to your familiars, Hitsuguya-taicho."

She started to fade, the fiery violet eyes becoming a glassy wine color. The moment the illusion faded, a silver tower rose far up into the sky, announcing the position of Hinamoto. Matsumoto was already ahead of him by the time he shunpoed off. He just hoped that he'll be on time.

They came as I knew they would. The moment they stepped through the Squad 10 barrack doors, the kido barrier that I set up alerted me that they were here and to them I was somewhere in the barracks.

It didn't take them that long to find me and I made it easy for them both by standing right in front of Toshiro's room. Matsumoto was the one who spotted me first, surprisingly, but it was Hitsuguya who first confronted me. "What were you thinking, Hinamoto-chan? Have you gone insane?"

I have never heard this side of Toshiro Hitsuguya before, but I handled the situation as if I've been expecting this for years. "I have, perhaps gone insane from the boredom that you've made me endure. So I decided to have some fun with you two . . ."

Matsumoto glared daggers at me and I could see the wave of rage she was radiating. "How could you, Hime-chan. I thought you wer-" I tapped the strawberry blond woman's forehead, her body going limp and she fell to the floor with a dull thump. "Sleep, Rangiku-san."

"What did you do to her, Hinamoto?" I sighed exasperatedly. "Did you think I'd have the heart to kill her, Hitsuguya-taicho? You make me sound like a heartless bastard for someone of my caliber."

Matsumoto was lying in a heap on the ground while Toshiro listened to those words. "Did you think I'd have the heart to kill her, Hitsuguya-taicho? You make me sound like a heartless bastard for someone of my caliber."

Toshiro honestly had no clue how to respond to this, so instead he let Kurohime continue. "I'm envious of you, Hitsuguya-taicho. You can roam free around anyone. You do not possess that cursed power that I have. You can walk in the sun while I cannot even stand the very mention of it."

"Hime-chan, what are you talking about," he asked. Kurohime scoffed and replied, "I should have died a long time ago, Hitsuguya-taicho. There are times that I wished Aizen had finished me off. I would have been free then, to rejoin my family again and laugh, to never weep again in sorrow but in joy."

Hitsuguya couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I never wanted all of this to happen, Hitsuguya-taicho." Her voice cracked slightly and tears threaten to spill from her eyes. "I want to die, but my heart won't let me."

What emotion flickered through Hitsuguya's eyes? Was it remorse, pity, anger, regret, or hate? Out of impulse, Hitsuguya lunged forwards and caught Hinamoto by the throat. "You don't know what you're talking about, Hinamoto-chan," he whispered ominously. The violet orbs flared with a renewed passion. "It is you who does not know what he is talking about," she hissed.

Without knowing it, Toshiro's hand tightened around Kurohime's neck, slightly crushing her windpipe. "Stop thinking like this! The Kurohime I knew would have said 'suck it up,' and went on," he exclaimed. "W-what choice do I h-h-have? I am n-nothing more t-than j-just one c-c-consciousness," she gasped.

It would have been so easy to end this madness by suffocating her, but Toshiro released the crushing grip on her neck before she went in a coma. "Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance, Hitsuguya-taicho?" Toshiro looked at her, "I don't want to kill you, Hinamoto-chan, I can't bear it if I did," he whispered intimately. "Why," she asked. "I can't and won't because you're someone who's precious to me. His hand went from her neck to the side of her face, but he could still see the mistrust in the girl's eyes.

"I nearly broke into pieces when I saw you die, I tried to stifle the pain by burying myself in paperwork. And when you first came back, I . . ." Toshiro stopped there to prevent himself from revealing more, but he could see that her eyes have softened quite a bit. "Hitsuguya-taicho . . ."

"Just come back, Hime-chan. No one is going to hurt you, especially me . . ." For one moment, something that looked very much like longing flickered through the depths of those violet eyes only to be drowned out by a furious wave of rage. "Your mouth spews lies, Hitsuguya-taicho and they aren't going to work on me," she declared dryly.

The compassion from Hitsuguya's features melted away into a cold hard mask. "If reasoning won't work, than I'm afraid I'll have to use force," he said. Kurohime didn't respond, but she stretched her hand out towards the door handle, a silvery reiatsu enveloping her palm. An audible crash could be heard as a black parasol crashed through the rice paper screen door.

"I do not intend to use my zanpaktou, but I'll take my leave as soon as I defeat you," she hissed. Toshiro shunpoed away from her before a black parasol came crashing down onto the wooden floor. "I was just going to put Shirobara down and hoping to rid myself of another pest, but I failed."

"Soten Ni Zase, Hyorinmaru!" Kurohime watched as a large icy blue dragon hovered above her head and shunpoed away. "So naïve, Hisuguya-taicho. You'll need more than just brute strength to defeat me." Hitsuguya turned around and faced a cherry tree. Standing on the top branches was Kurohime herself, with two shadows kneeling on smaller branches.

Then ice dragon flew towards the girl, but it shattered before it made contact with the tree. Shards of ice flew around them like crystals, the moonlight enhancing the already beautiful scene into a somewhat romantic setting. A kido barrier surrounded the tree, but it was different from any other barrier he'd ever known.

"This is one of Hachigen Ushoda's own inventions. A convenient kido that is activated through one simple hand gesture, although it drains your reiatsu at an astonishing rate." Hitsuguya saw that the castor was not Kurohime, but her two shadow dolls. She gave them a tap and the latter dissolved into oblivion.

Hitsuguya gripped his katana as hard as he could as Kurohime leaped off the branch and shunpoed in the corner of his eyes, he could see four ankens flying towards him from the right and four more from the left. The speed that they were thrown at had surprised him, it usually fast, but this time it barely past the average soul reaper's shunpoe.

"Instead of looking around for an escape, shouldn't you be concentrating at the situation at hand, Hitsuguya-taicho?" Indeed it was a situation, Toshiro was caught in the middle of a weave, the ankens being the anchor that kept the metal threads from relinquishing their prisoner.

Toshiro had enough of Hinamoto mocking him with her parlor tricks. He swung his sword, emitting another ice dragon that froze everything around him. "So you want to get serious, Hitsuguya-taicho? Well then, I will comply. Shunko!" The ankens retracted, in the process, freeing Toshiro.

Hinamoto was in front of him, her large reiatsu like lightening. She looked fearsome and beautiful, her curls escaped from the Lolita hairstyle that she kept, the black blouse she worn was torn to pieces, revealing her bare shoulders, that aristocratic yet polite appearance was replaced by an emotionless expression, betraying no emotion. The petite girl charged at him, dodging all the ice dragons that he had created.

His katana collided with a pale fist, the impact almost as strong as regular sword. She drew back and stood far away from him as another dragon flew towards her. The ghostly silhouette held out her hand as the dragon came faster, a silver glow radiating from her palm. "This is a shame, Hitsuguya-taicho. A lone girl who defeated a captain using only Hoho and Kido. I fear this is the end of our small conflict, Hitsuguya-taicho. I doubt I would ever see you again."

Hinamoto disappeared and reappeared behind him, her hand blazing with reiatsu. She slammed the palm onto the back of his neck, effectively knocking him unconscious. His eyes closed before he could see the bitter tears the small girl wept.

I lowered the barrier that I used around the squad barracks and hastily grabbed Shirobarakaze. I cursed at my own foolishness for dragging the battle on, but it couldn't be helped. Even after I entered the Senkaimon gate, my tears never stopped flowing.

It like someone had jammed a rusted blade into my heart and twisted it. I had just renounced my friendship with the last person who still cared about me, but I never expected it to be this way. I just wished that I could stop my tears because I needed to be strong for everyone, especially for him . . .

_Hinamoto blushed as she felt Hitsuguya caress her small frame. Her face was turned away from him as he teased her lips. She backed up further against wall, but Toshiro pulled her close to him. "I don't want you to leave, Hime-chan," he whispered into her ears. _

_She flushed and tried to struggle out of his grasp, but she was trapped like a frightened animal. Hitsuguya tilted her face upwards to face his and teal and violet met again. Hinamoto blushed and pursed her lips. "Why do you have to make this so hard, Hime-chan?" _

_He trailed kisses down her face until he reached her lips. The girl tensed when their lips connected, but responded with a passionate kiss of her own_

Hitsuguya woke up in cold sweat in a white room. It looked like it was midnight or past midnight. His little dream about Kurohime sickened him. How could he think something like about his friend. But deep inside he wished that dream was true, that it was how he said goodbye to Kurohime instead of choking her.

An image of a flustered Kurohime filled his mind and he cursed his overactive imagination. But every time he tried to think of something else that image kept coming back every time. Why do I keep thinking about her and that . . .that image, he thought.

He decided to dismiss it as nothing more than one of the lewd fantasies that Matsumoto kept planting in his mind, but was it usually this painful? It wasn't like one of those stupid stories that Matsumoto would rant on and on about, it was more along the lines of a hollow feeling. Like if he had been craving for something, but he had no idea what he wanted.

What did I want anyways, he asked himself. He saw himself 93 years ago walking side by side with Kurohime, who positively beaming at him and Kurohime now who looked like she had lost the will to live and is teetering on the edge of despair. So is that what drove him to act the way he did, to hurt her just to get a point across? A memory of earlier that night flashed across his mind, the moment where he had lunged forward and caught her by the throat. Something stirred inside him, guilt, regret, and pity and something else. A more uncontrollable emotion . . .

I had to get to Urahara and Yoruichi before its too late. I just hope I'll be on time. . .

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God, I suck with cliffhangers. Anyways if you have any suggestions for the next chapter than just tell me otherwise it going to take a lot longer to get this story going. Reviews :)


	23. Brand New Day

Hello again! Its summer and I just got back from Chicgo! Sorry for the very late update, but I'll probably have another chapter by the end of today or tommorrow! Enjoy!

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Kisuke Urahara always had this knack where when I needed anything from him, he would be 'gone' or have some lame excuse. This time it was a bad bug and that he needed time away from the shop. Yoruichi had disappeared to somewhere.

Currently, I had no place to stay (curtsey of Tessai) so I was roaming the city like a vagrant. I couldn't go back home, the Soul Society would know because they set a barrier in front of the gates so as soon as I pass through them they would know.

"Hitsuguya-taicho, you're up," said a woman's voice. Toshiro stirred and opened his eyes, the first spectacle he saw was the smiling face of Retsu Unohana. He tried to get out of the hospital bed, but a sudden jolt of pain from the back of his neck caused him to pause and wince. "So do you remember anything that happened last night," Unohana asked.

Toshiro shook his head and Unohana sighed. "I'll leave you get your rest, Hitsuguya-taicho." He nodded and Unohana left without another word. Finally getting what Unohana meant about 'that night', he replayed it in his head. Kurohime changed ever since he had reconnected with her. She was no longer that timid girl who wanted to accepted, she had warped into a hideous demoness with lust for vengence on the injustice done to her.

Yet, Hitsuguya still had this 'feeling' where he felt he was responsible for everything. Truth to be told, he feared her and loved her at the same time. She had this aura that felt like it was going to push you off a cliff if you are not careful, to remain behind forever as a relic and envying the present. Was that why she cried? Why she tries hard to not let her true emotions take her and instead faking a smile to cover up everything?

He decided he would rest back in his own quarters instead of Squad 4. He didn't care that as soon as he reached his barracks, Matsumoto had chastised him for not staying with Unohana. But her expression changed when she stared into his eyes. "You miss her don't you, taicho? You miss the old Kurohime, don't you," she asked. He shook his head and she gave a smile.

Without anymore delay, Hitsuguya finally made it back to his room. When he laid down on the futon set out for him and stared at the ceiling (they repaired the minor damage that Kurohime had caused) and shot back up again. There was a square-like lump under his futon. He cursed and pulled it out, whatever it may be. It turned out to be an old book and he was going to toss it far across the floor when he caught a glimpse of the etching on the cover.

It was a journal, Hinamoto's to be exact. She must had slipped it under the futon when she thought he was looking and forgotten it there when she made her big escape. Whatever the reason it was, Hitsuguya didn't care about it for the moment. Instead, he just settled down his futon and began reading from page one.

I ended staying in someone's house. I didn't know who they are, but I knocked them out with a kido spell and placed them in their bedrooms. I don't need a bed to sleep on, I just stayed on the couch and made sure whatever I did would not affect the furniture setting when the people woke up.

What is surprising is that there are no search teams that I could sense that are looking for me right now. The only thing they set up as an offensive id the barrier that is preventing me from getting into my house. What a horrid time for me to be involved, I thought . . .

Toshiro was already through three-fourths of the journal before he felt a pang of shame. He was invading the privacy of someone who valued their isolation. But he had to admit there was more to Kurohime Hinamoto than just looks, a fighting prowess, and artistic talents. For an example, that manor she had bought that looked like Kuchiki Byakuya would have owned was actually won through a game of 'cards'.

There were more than one time when it looked like she was on the brink of suicide, but a happy memory that Hitsuguya was all to familiar with was all she needed to keep herself going until the next couple of months. Her paintings have gotten more and more complex with each page.

One showed a likeness of himself and Matsumoto side by side with their zanpaktous drawn. The ferocity depicted on their faces were quite noticeable. Another showed herself walking through a flowery meadow of black roses, a look of longing clearly shown on her face. All the other paintings were like that, she was happy if she was in the picture with someone and melancholy when she was alone. There was an incomplete picture near the back. Only her face was drawn and it seemed she was going to draw someone else.

On the bottom, he saw she wrote a small poem. It took a small amount of time before he got the meaning:

_Dreams, send me a sign,_

_Turn back the clock,_

_Give me some time,_

_I need to break out,_

_And make a new name,_

_Let's open our eyes,_

_To the brand new day._

He skipped the lyrics and went to the last couple of pages in hopes of finding something that might interest him. And he did. She had written a large amount of her hopes and dreams as a 'part of wishful thinking'. For some reason she had written down 'try Orihime Inoue's cooking' and 'give Kisuke Urahara what's coming to him'. Then there were the less humorous ones like 'slaughter Sosuke Aizen, no pity' and 'write will in case of death'.

Her hopes were more upbeat or her opinion of upbeat. Like 'find a fat gray cat and adopt it' and 'learning how to sing with someone else, duet'. A small part of Hitsuguya's mind had hoped for something of a romantic nature, like an infatuation or a good relationship. He tried to imagine Hinamoto's blood red lips on another man's and the very thought made him want to retch.

Another found its way into his head. Like instead of him forcefully choking the girl, Hitsuguya had wrapped his arms around her neck and asked if she still wanted to leave and kissed her slowly on her lips. For a moment he came back to reality, but his fantasy had pulled him back. Hinamoto's flushed face was turned away from him as if she was trying to hide her surprise, but with no success.

Hitsuguya stopped then and there, recollecting his thoughts and composure. For a moment there, he thought Hyorinamru had planted those thoughts in his head, but to his astonishment and annoyance, Hyorinmaru was asleep, so that meant those were his own thoughts. The only good thing about it was that Hyorinamru wasn't there to mock him.

I don't know how much longer I can take by spending all my time wandering around town. I had left my journal in the Soul Society and god forbid anyone that read it. I also had this ungodly urge to wander to the far end of Karakura. Hiyori and Shinji weren't there at all and so were all the other vizards.

Secretly, I wished that the Soul Society would come after me already, so I would die fighting at least instead of being crushed by the never ending boredom that seemed to follow me everywhere. Shirobara was sleeping 24/7 and I had no one to talk to. I would talk to Sunade, but I told her to flee to somewhere safe because she is a mod soul and I do not want the Department of Research and Development to get their grimy hands on her.

Toshiro couldn't sleep at all. He kept pondering on what might have made him slip character and turn into a obsessive, insane person. This was his own opinion of course. But he could let Matsumoto get a grasp on what was his perception of Kurohime Hinamoto otherwise the woman might get the wrong idea or worse, spread rumors around the squads.

For a second he thought he was overreacting, but Matsumoto's laughing face scared him as much as the image of the entire Gotei 13 jeering at him. Finally, he gave up and declared if it ever happened again then he would just let it take its course and not tell anyone. He tried sleeping again, but another thought came to him.

In Hitsuguya's point of view, it looked like Hinamoto and himself would make a very handsome couple. Toshiro stopped himself completely and just stared at the ceiling as an attempt to fall asleep.

I sneezed repeatedly over and over again, but I kept it quiet so I don't wake the couple down the hall. I know I had put a kido over them, but I couldn't be to sure that it might have worked. I had just came back from an interrogation with one of the Soul Society's Omietskidos operatives. The man was less than happy to tell me that as soon as Hitsuguya gets better from that attack I left on, he would be leading the search teams to find me. To keep the man from telling the old fart in Squad 1, I asked him if he had a family and if he didn't keep his mouth shut, I would leave them the same way I found my mother and sister.

It is amazing how a simple nickname can cause so much fear in another's heart. But these were the people I despised, those assholes (pardon the language) were the people that made my life into a craphole. After that, I went to my tailor who was shocked that my dress was in tatters. I had forgotten that I had used Shunko the night before and came up with a lie. She didn't looked like she believed me, but was happy to find me a replacement.

I wandered around town for a while after that, desperately trying to find some hollows or arrancars.

The Taicho of Squad 10 woke up with a hard smack to his cheek. Grumbling and rubbing his sore face, he saw a hell butterfly fluttering in front of him and held out his finger. "Hitsuguya-taicho, please report to Squad one as soon as you wake up. The Sou-taicho would like to talk to you about certain matters. Thank you." Hitsuguya got dressed and shunpoed to the grand doors of the captain's meeting hall.

"Hitsuguya-taicho, I called you here to ask you to tell me what happened when Hinamoto escaped. She could be potentially dangerous to humans and soul reapers if not handled properly. Toshiro felt a pang of disgust towards the old man's objectified statement that was directed to Kurohime. "I need you to convince her to return to the Soul Society immediately. We need her for an undercover operation, if she cooperates, then we will offer her immunity and a place in the ranks of the Omeitkidos."

Toshiro didn't think that Hinamoto would accept those terms, it wasn't her fault that she had her hollow awakened and she would not like to be bound by the rules and protocol of the Gotei 13. "Yamamoto-soutaicho, if I may speak. I do not think Hinamoto really cares about the fact that she had broken the soul reaper law for hollow abilties. It wasn't her fault, really. Also, if she had cared about being back in the Gotei 13, then she would have revealed her well being to us as soon as Aizen defected," Hitsuguya stated. The old man stroked his beard and replied, "Fine, if you know so much about her, appeal to her soft side to convince her to come back. This is a critical time, we need every shinigami we can get."

Hitsuguya wanted to lash out at the old man. It seemed to him that the Soul Society thought nothing of Hinamoto except as a tool, something to be honed and sharpened. But he was bound by duty as a Taicho of the Gotei 13. "Yes, Soutaicho. I will go immediately." Before he could turn around, Yamamoto boomed. "Soi Fon-taicho waill also be accompanying you, she know most of her attacks, so I expect results as soon as possible."

Hitsuguya nodded and exited out the door to find a whole Squadron of Omeitskido officers kneeling and Soi Fon walking up to him. "Hitsuguya-taicho, I hope you don't mid that I brought some of my own men." Toshiro shook his head and she turned around and barked, "All of you are to follow Hitsuguya and my directions. Any violations will be punished to the full extent!" Hitsuguya couldn't see why Hinamoto thought of the Omeitskidos as enjoyable.

They all walked through the Senkeimon gates and stepped into the real world. Hinamoto, Soi Fon thought . . .

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Just a forward warning, the next chapter is not like the epic battle between Yoruichi and Soi Fon! I thought it was a bit cheesy, but I might make some changes later. Reviews! :)


	24. Taking Chances

Whoa, that took longer then I expected, but I have a reason. The dreaded summer school. well enjoy :)

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"We have reason to believe that the fugitive, Hinamoto, Kurohime, has fled the city with Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin. But she has left several decoys in Karakura that says so otherwise, Ma'am."

Soi Fon gave a nod and the soul reaper left without another word. Currently, the two captains who were assigned to bring back Kurohime Hinamoto were having difficulties with their task. Their target has been using clones to fool their troops, knocking each squad unconscious, but not killing them. "She can't be far. If she can still use her attacks, then she's still here in the city." Soi Fon concluded.

Her partner, the famous Hitsuguya-taicho stood next to her with an incomprehensible expression. "Hitsuguya-taicho, can you shed some light on our current situation," asked Soi Fon. There was no answer from the silver hair boy, so she turned her attention back to their hell butterfly for any incoming messages.

After a while, the woman felt frustration clawing at her. Damn it, where is she, she thought. The girl has been avoiding their clutches for nearly a whole day. The sun was setting already and she still hasn't shown yet. "Soi Fon-taicho, Hitsuguya-taicho! We've spotted Hinamoto. Some of our teams have combined in an attempt to capture her, she is coming your way. I repeat, she is coming your way!"

Both captains drew their zanpaktous immediately and held steady. "Bakudō 62. Hyapporankan! Not far from the captains, a very loud explosion sounded. When the dust settled, they could see that most of their men had been captured in a very large circle of silvery kido rods. But Kurohime was nowhere in sight.

"Damn it, she esca-" Someone had tapped her back twice and shunpoed away before she had a chance to turn around. "Greetings to you, Soi Fon-taicho. It is an honor to see you again," said a quiet voice behind Toshiro. Soi Fon whirled around and saw Hinamoto, she didn't have on scratch on her clothes, but she was exhausted.

"I see that you are healed, Hitsuguya-taicho. I sincerely apologize for the grief I caused you both, but I couldn't let any one interfere with our upcoming battle." Her hand drifted towards her skirt and Toshiro Hitsuguya jumped in front of Soi Fon. "She has poisoned ankens hidden in the pleats, Soi Fon-taicho." But Kurohime never pulled out anything, she just brushed off some non-existed dirt. Soi Fon skirted around Hitsuguya and charged at Hinamoto head on with her zanpaktou. "Jinteki Shakusetsu, Suzmebachi!" The attack however was negated with a flip of hand from Kurohime, who had tossed her to the side with almost no effort.

"It is very rude to interrupt someone when they are speaking, Soi Fon-taicho. I also see that you've improved dramatically on your shikai since I last saw you." "Thank you, I also see that your abilities have not diminished . . .yet."

Kurohime closed her parasol and held it in her hands. The girl gave a smirk in Soi Fon's direction while she parried a blow from Hitsuguya."Your reiatsu was hidden and your movements are too big, Hitsuguya-taicho."

Soi Fon and Hitsuguya were standing side by side, their zanpaktous drawn and held at an angle so Hinamoto would know they were serious. "Soten Ni Zase, Hyorinmaru!" The fearsome, icy dragon reared its head above Toshiro and roared. "Very well, then I shall use my powers as well."

Hinamoto held out her zanpaktou, but she didn't release it. Instead she dropped it to the abyss below, where Shirobarakaze landed with a crash. Toshiro's heartbeat accelerated when Kurohime held a hand to her face and pulled it downwards.

"So you've really become a monster, Hinamoto," spat Soi Fon. For a moment, Hitsuguya could see a twinge of pain and regret flash across the younger girl's face, that was covered with a small amount of anger. "Indeed, I have, Soi Fon-taicho. I thank you for recognizing it."

This was the first time Hitsuguya had seen Kurohime's hollow mask. It was an elegant mask, like the kind that humans would wear to a masquerade ball. Beautiful and fearsome would sum it up. Kurohime made the first move. She raised a hand and fired a dark purple cero, that narrowly missed the two captains.

"Hyorinamru!" The dragon that was hovering above the battle had been called forward, gracefully weaving its way towards Kurohime. One blast of her reiatsu had shattered it into a million pieces, but Hyorinmaru had only been a distraction. "Nigeki Kessatsu!" Hitsuguya saw Kurohime's black eyes widen as a crest was spreading across Hinamoto's chest. "So this is the famous Homonka I've heard so much about from Yoruichi-sama. You have improved since I saw you last," she said

Hitsuguya quickly summoned another dragon and hurled it at Kurohime. She dispersed the attack, however, the dragon was made of water and the water that was splashed on her had frozen into ice. Soi Fon looked at him and returned to her task at hand.

Finally, Soi Fon retreated next to Hitsuguya, the black and gold gauntlet on her right arm stained with blood. But the Taicho of the Second Divison had also substained some critical injuries. Bruises and cuts covered her from head to toe, her haori torn and dirtied. Kurohime, however, was in a worst state. She bore the Homonka's crest on her face, chest, back, and arms. Part of her hollow mask had been cracked and coated with drying blood.

Hitsuguya stepped forward and brandished Hyorinmaru. His resolve to bring Hinamoto was firmly set in his mind. "I am giving you on last chance to surrender and come back with us to the Soul Society, Hinamoto-chan." A low growl emitted from Hinamoto and she charged without warning and slapped his face.

Soi Fon had caught him before he crashed into the ground below. "Is that your way of insulting me, Hitsuguya-taicho? Do you really believe that you can bring me back to that hell hole?" Have you really become that naïve," she screamed.

His cheek still stung with each breeze that brushed against his face and Soi Fon was too tired to be moving at her full speed. But at least they had weakened Kurohime as well. Hinamoto waved her hand over her face and the mask disappeared, revealing a pale, bloodied face. "I am going to end it her, as a shinigami, if it means so much to you." she glared down at them as her hand stretched out as to catch something from below.

Soi Fon only had seconds to pull Hitsuguya out of harm's way as a black parasol flew upwards into Hinamoto's outstretched palm. The lacey, black and wires dissolved from the parasol as it became a sheathed zanpaktou. Kurohime suddenly radiated a murderous gray reiatsu and it soon exploded everywhere. The sheath had also dissolved from the blade as she held it out horizontally in a reverse grip. But before she could release her zanpaktou, someone had grabbed her arm and negated her reiatsu.

"Yoruichi-sama," gasped Soi Fon. Someone behind Yoruichi carried Hinamoto in his arms, both of the assailants looked down upon them. "Soi Fon! What did you do," yelled Yoruichi. The Shihoin princess deactivated her shunko as she awaited the young woman's answer. And of course Soi Fon stayed quiet, not knowing what to say.

Without another word, Kisuke and Yoruichi had vanished in front of their eyes . . .

It was past midnight when Toshiro finally submitted his report to the Sou-Taicho. He doubt the old man would give him another chance to search for Kurohime, not after Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin intervened.

"_Master, are you okay," asked Hyorinmaru._

"Yes, what are you getting at, Hyorinmaru," sighed Toshiro.

"_I was just trying to converse with you. Besides, you need to rest."_

"Of course, I was going to get to that before you interrupted me."

Hyorinmaru retreated into his inner world and Toshiro walked back silently to his barracks. Matsumoto was still under the kido spell that Hinamoto had placed on her. Hitsuguya sighed loudly. Everything has gotten so complicated since Hinamoto came back.

It took a while for him to fall asleep, and a lot more longer for him to stop tossing and turning. In his dreams, he saw a beautiful flower covered meadow. It seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't put a finger on what. . .

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I know this is a short chapter, but the next one will be longer. Yup. Review because I know I made some mistakes somewhere but I can't tell where and I need the help. Bye :D


	25. Black Ice

I won't be updating for the next week because my summer school trip is at Seattle and my teacher is banning any computerized gadgets.T_T But I'll try my hardest to write in secret, but enough of this. Enjoy!

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"I haven't seen you for a while, Hitsuguya-taicho." Toshiro spun around and almost collided with a tall woman. He looked up and the first thing he noticed was her pale rose colored hair. This woman was none other than Kurohime's zanpaktou, Shirobarakaze.

She pulled him to a flower tree and beckoned him to sit down. "I hope my mistress didn't cause you any injury . . ." Her eyes slowly drifted to his cheek, where he sported a large bruise when Kurohime had slapped him. "Oh dear . . ."

Hitsuguya tried not to flinch when he felt Shirobarakaze's fingers brush over his cheek. There was a burning sensation, then nothing. "There, when you wake up, there should be nothing on your cheek." Hitsuguya looked up at the woman, her gentle smile putting him at ease, but he knew that that smile was forced.

"Thank you, Shirobarakaze-san," he said. For a second, that smile faltered and he saw sorrow, then it was covered up again. "Shirobarakaze-san, may I ask you a question?" She nodded slowly, the trinklets on her headpiece tinkling gently. "I want to know what Hinamoto-chan was hiding? I want to know the reason why she tries to keep everyone out of her life."

Shirobarakaze backed away one step and sighed. "Even her zanpaktou doesn't know the full answer to that question. She doesn't like to talk much anymore, except when she is in a good mood and even then, she can be brought down quickly."

I guess that's why Shirobarakaze is so depressed, Hitsuguya thought. It must be frustrating to be talking to a wall. Maybe that's what Momo thought half of the times she had attempted talking to him. He had been ignoring the company of his friend for the company of paperwork. "But when she is sad or bored, we would play games together. It's really nice seeing her smile, but she's been frowning ever since she went back to the Soul Society," said Shirobarakaze.

Hitsuguya nodded to her and she sat down next to him before continuing. "Hitsuguya-taicho, I recall some of my memories of her time in the Soul Society, most of them including you, of course. So why do you think she hit you when you had asked her to come back to the Soul Society?" Toshiro thought about it. There was anger and defiance when she shrieked her answer, but nothing else. "I guess I offended her. Whatever it was, I would not like to see it again," he replied.

Shirobarakaze let out a low chuckle and whispered, "Is that what you thought it was? Don't you think there is something more?" Something in Toshiro's mind reared its forgotten head and it took a few seconds for him to realize that it was his curiosity.

"She is scared of you, Hitsuguya-taicho." Hitsuguya noticed that she emphasized on the phrase, Hitsuguya-taicho. "She uses distancing language when she is not talking to Yoruichi Shihion and Kisuke Urahara."

"_Greetings to you, Soi Fon-taicho. It is an honor to see you again." _

"_Is that your way of insulting me, Hitsuguya-taicho?" _

"My mistress only thinks that by addressing the person in a formal, polite way will intimidate the person because she is scared of bonding with him. She believes that all emotional, personal ties will bring sorrow, but she still cares about her friends, only from afar. There are still some undecided emotion concerning you that she hasn't decided on."

By now, Toshiro was intrigued by the woman. He wondered what kind of "undecided" emotion it could be. Either way, his blasted curiosity would not be satisfied until he got an answer. "So, where is she now," asked Hitsuguya.

Shirobarakaze snorted and laughed. "Do you really think I can tell you that? My mistress is unconscious for the time being and the only thing that's keeping me from rampaging is the fact that she is with Yoruichi and Kisuke right now."

Damn, Hitsuguya thought. But what Shirobarakaze told him is true, then he had almost no chance to bring her back to the Soul Society. Some part of Hitsuguya was relieved that she won't have to suffer under whatever task the Sou-taicho was going to issue, but he felt dread for failing the old man.

"Your thoughts are somewhat beautiful, Hitsuguya-taicho," snickered Shirobara. "I never knew you thought of my mistress in that way." On command, that lucid fantasy that Hitsuguya dreamt from before wormed its way to the center of his mind. He flushed and exclaimed, "You- what-how did you do that?"

"Oh, so what I saw was true, right Hitsuguya-taicho," teased Shirobarakaze. Hitsuguya flushed harder and mentally cursed his thoughts and for his coming here. "Don't worry, Hitsuguya-taicho. I won't tell her, even if I did, she'll never believe me. Believe it or not, Hime-chan was always in denial about these things. You would have to be a very special person to make her confess about these things."

Toshiro sighed in relief and mumured his thanks to Shirobarakaze. "How did you know what I thought, Shirobarakaze-san?" She frowned for moment and replied, "As Kurohime's zanpaktou, I share the same abilities with her. Although mine are weaker, it is still capable to do as much damage as her abilities. But her powers are much, much more dangerous."

A long time ago, Hitsuguya had seen firsthand what Shirobarakaze had mentioned. It was like Hinamoto had lost part of herself . . . and replaced it with a stifling rage. "You are partially correct. But no, that is not how it is. You see, Kurohime has these psychic abilities that allow her to do what she wills. But she will also run the risk of losing her sanity if she overexerts herself."

It took only a few seconds for Hitsuguya's mind to process what he heard, but he was still confused. "Then why would she even consider using these abilities," he asked. "Normally, Hinamoto wouldn't dare dream useing them, but if she thinks it is required, then she will. She know how tiring it can be, so those occasions are very limited."

Then she stopped talking and closed her eyes. "I am sorry, Hitsuguya-taicho. But my mistress is waking up and I can't have her knowing you were here. Especially how she reacted the last time I tried talking to you." With a wave of her hand, Hitsuguya was pulled back into his world.

Every single one of my muscles hurt and there was a metallic aftertaste in my mouth. "Well, our little Hime-chan woke up!" Seeing Kisuke Urahara's face was not what I wanted to see when I first woke up. "Kisuke, is she okay," asked someone I knew very well. Yoruichi Shihion leaned against the doorframe with a smirk on her face. "Yoruichi-sama, Urahara-san, where am I," I asked.

Kisuke's grin grew bigger. "You shouldn't worry about that, we're gonna patch you up good as new!" So it was that bad. I didn't know how much trouble I was in or what I would have to do for Kisuke as punishment.

"What's wrong, Hinamoto-chan? Did something happen," asked Yoruichi. But I was confused by what was going on. Yoruichi had just called me by my name and not that insufferable nickname. Suddenly, Kisuke and Yoruichi exchanged looks and started whispering.

"_Do you think she's ready?"_

"_Of course, she is, Kisuke! She's been ready since she came here."_

"_But I don't think this is such a good idea, Yoruichi. You know how hard bankai is."_

Their conversation screeched towards a halt and they turned back to me. The expression on my face said it all. It was a mix of anticipation and annoyance. "Well, it appears you would like me to achieve my bankai. . ." There was nothing but a mirthless laugh from Kisuke and Yoruichi.

When Hitsuguya woke up early in the morning, he got an unpleasant surprise from Yamamoto-soutaicho. The elderly man was clearly displeased when he heard Soi Fon's report on the day before, especially about the section where Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihion intervened. "I want Hitsuguya-taicho and Matsumoto-fukutaicho to search her hideout for any clues to where they might have taken her. The Soul Society is closing in at war and we'll need as much help as we can get."

Toshiro nodded and the Sou-taicho dismissed them both. When he got Matsumoto to finally wake up, they both shunpoed to the Senkeimon Gate waiting for them. "What did the Sou-taicho mean by 'hideout', Taicho," asked Matsumoto. Hitsuguya exhaled sharply and snapped, "I don't know. But the closest place to a hideout is probably her house." Matsumoto nodded as she sliced through the chains on the front gate.

Matsumoto stayed silent after that, but someone from Hinamoto's house that Hitsuguya never wanted to see again had made her appearance again. Someone who was standing before the double door entrance of the manor. "Why it's Hitsuguya-taicho. I am truly surprised that you dare show your face here again." Sunade bowed deeply to Matsumoto and said, "Please to see you again, Matsumoto-fukutaicho."

"May I ask why you are here, Hitsuguya-taicho," Sunade asked through her teeth. Toshiro thought how she could still keep up that charade when Kurohime was not present. No bothering to give an explanation to Sunade, he stormed up the marble staircase, into the manor, and down a random corridor.

Hitsuguya roughly turned the door handle to the room closest to him, but there was nothing. "Oh, you're going to have some trouble finding what you're looking for, Hitsuguya-taicho." Without a word, Sunade shunpoed from Matsumoto's side to Hitsuguya. Something thin and sharp was held at his throat before Toshiro could react.

"If you were not one of Hinamoto-sama's acquaintances, I would have slit your throat the first moment I met you and left your corpse to rot," she hissed into his ear. A small glint of light shone from a nearby window and Hitsuguya caught a glimpse of what was being held to this neck. It was a hairpin, the ruby charm reflecting the sunlight dully.

"I see you have remembered our small chat before Hinamoto-sama interrupted us. And if you recall my request at you being an inconvenience to Hinamoto-sama's well being, you will realize in a few seconds that you have indeed been an inconvenience to both my mistress and me," she said.

When Hitsuguya sensed Sunade had release her hold on the pin for the slightest moment, he kicked her from behind and as he expected, she had dodged the blow. But Hitsuguya slammed her to the wall as hard as he could, damaging the ancient wall and creating a small blizzard of drywall. "D-do what you will, but I will n-never tell y-you anything," she gasped.

Hitusguya pushed her further into the wall and he saw that her face was getting paler with each second. "G-go a-ahead and kill me then, Hitsuguya-taicho," she wheezed. There was a faint smirk on her face, like she knew something he didn't. That same smirk was one Kurohime that night, like she was begging him to do it. Horrified at his rash actions, he backed away from Sunade and stormed arcoss the corridor.

"Taicho, where are you going," called Matsumoto. Hitsuguya reached for the first door handle he saw and entered the room. But when he saw there was nothing, he backed out quickly and headed for the other side of the corridor. Matsumoto and Sunade heard the sound of doors being slammed roughly into the wall.

"She's not here, Matsumoto," shouted Hitsuguya. Then he turned to Sunade and yelled, "Where is she, damnit?" Something flew through the air and embedded itself in the wall. It was a hairpin, the charm tinkling softly like a bell. "Ahh, Hitsuguya-taicho, there is such thing as patience in this world and as for your question, I am afraid I can't answer it even if I could."

Sunade pick herself of the floor amd dusted off all the white stains on her skirt. Hitsuguya saw this as an oppurtunity to leave as soon as possible. "Matsumoto, we're going now." The perky blond ran past him down the stairs as Toshiro strolled leisurely. "If I were you, Taicho, I would try to keep my anger within myself. Otherwise who knows what could happen," whispered Sunade.

She stretched her hand out towards the hairpin and the ruby charm suddenly glowed and pulled itself out from the wall. Sunade caught it and began pulling at her hair. "You may leave now, Hitsuguya-taicho."

After the double doors closed, Sunade sighed. "I wondered what could have happened those two? Oh well, it's not my business anyway, but this could get interesting."

"That was scary, Taicho. I thought she would have got you with needle of hers," said Matsumoto. She was trying to start a conversation with her young captain as a futile attempt to ease the tension between them two, but it seemed she was irritating him even further.

Somehow it unnerved the woman to see the boy like this. He always kept a calm, commanding atmosphere that made sure everything was done in the correct order, but suddenly snapping at everyone in sight, that was weird even for him. "Can you sense anything, Matsumoto?" Rangiku glanced at Hitsuguya, who was seemed to be staring at the mountains on the outskirts of Karakura.

"No, I can't, Taicho," replied Matsumoto. Hitsuguya exhaled sharply and started running. "Matsumoto, come. I have an idea." Matsumoto nodded and followed him, but she had some uncertainties about where he was going.

In a matter of few seconds, they stopped in front of an abandoned warehouse. "Taicho, there's a barrier around here. How are we going to get in," whined Matsumoto. Hitsuguya growled at Matsumoto. Then he turned around and unsheathed Hyorinamru.

*** Yoruichi helped me up from the futon at the same time, I heard a loud commotion outside the room. "Hachi, Baldy, there are shinigami outside! I thought your barrier was undetectable!"

Ahh Hiyori, I haven't seen her since she tried using Shirobarakaze to whack Shinji. It wasn't like I was annoyed, but she was a rude and outlandish girl who sometimes scared me with her odd threats. "Well, aren't you going to do something about it, Baldy?" I heard loud snapping sounds outside the door and shouts of pain.

Yoruichi helped me outside and suddenly, everything froze. Hiyori dropped her flip flop and smirked. "Well, what do we have here? It's Miss Priss! What are you doing here, I thought this place was too "dirty" for you." Hiyori smack Shinji one more time and walked towards me. "Kisuke, Yoruichi, what are you going to do?

They looked at me and Kisuke walked towards Hiyori and whispered something in her ear that made Hiyori smack him. "We can't do that, Baldy! What happened to your shop?" Kisuke whispered something else that made Hiyori freeze. "Y-you wouldn't." Kisuke smiled and said, "I'm glad we have a deal, Hiyori-chan."

Kisuke went over to me and patted my back. "As soon as we get you all patched up, you'll have a lot on your hands, Hime-chan."

* * *

The whole Kisuke and Hiyori scene was random and so was some of the stuff in here. The next chapter will probably be the beginning of the Arrancar Arc. Review! :)


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